Want to use AI in your business? Don’t do “this”.
What is “this” and why should you care about it?
Let’s cover that in the next 4 minutes.
Who’s been talking
Artisight CEO urges an enterprise-wide approach
In an interview with HIMSS, Dr. Andrew Gostine, CEO of Artisight and a practicing critical care Anesthesiologist, explained the importance of taking an enterprise-wide approach to adopting new technologies.
He stressed, “The tendency to implement point solutions that solve acute problems can lead to fragmented systems, unmanageable tech stacks, and long-term technical debt.”
Rather, he proposes business leaders should focus on integrated platforms that can scale across multiple departments and care settings, which enable interoperability and long-term sustainability.
In other words, businesses that focus on scalable systems now will avoid the pitfalls of isolated investments and have the flexibility to navigate new challenges as they arise.
EVP at emtelligent warns of AI hype
In an interview with HIMSS, Chris Althoff, an EVP at emtelligent, explained how generic AI systems lack the specialization needed to navigate the healthcare landscape.
He argues that expert medical AI is key to transforming healthcare’s behemoth of unstructured data into actionable insights for businesses.
In other words, you can’t take shortcuts when it comes to AI implementation, especially in healthcare.
As a business owner, you want to get it right the first time around.
So what does “this” mean for healthcare businesses?
If it isn’t clear already, “this” refers to the shallow, unorganized implementation of AI in healthcare businesses.
Based on what people like Dr. Gostine and Mr. Althoff have been discussing, here are 3 important points to keep in mind:
1. No shortcuts
Serious AI implementation can’t have shortcuts.
Just as Dr. Gostine said, if you always take the easy route of just patching leaks without thinking about how that solution fits into your ecosystem as a whole, you’ll eventually end up with a fragmented mess of systems.
This will inevitably cause issues down the line as you scale.
And it’s tempting to say, “I’ll deal with it when it becomes a problem.”
However, realize that this problem in the future will not only be larger, but it’ll also cost you more money as you grow.
So it’s better to implement AI, and any technology for that matter, the right way from the very beginning.
2. No siloed investments
Building upon the last point, siloed (or isolated) investments are those that don’t integrate with your existing systems.
Avoid these.
Unless you’re planning a complete overhaul of your current systems and tech stack, ensure that any new technology you adopt doesn’t compromise interoperability within your organization.
And yes, this may mean custom implementations, but if they’re what’s necessary for long-term scalability, then they’re probably worth the higher price tags.
3. Know the difference between getting your feet wet vs serious implementation
Getting your feet wet with AI implementation is like testing a chatbot on your landing page or experimenting with low-code/no-code tools to automate parts of your SOPs.
Actual AI implementation involves preparation of data across your organization and using it to enable scalable applications tailored specifically for your business.
And scalable in this context means a solution that will work whether you’re an SMB or a large enterprise.
Jumping from vendor to vendor is a pain – it’s better to establish a long-term partnership with one, or bring in a CTO in-house.
This will help you avoid the cost of “vendor-switching”.
TL;DR
- Adopt an enterprise-wide approach and prioritize interoperability, flexibility, and scale when adopting new technologies, says Artisight CEO Dr. Andrew Gostine.
- Generic AI systems are not good enough to navigate the complexity of healthcare, says emtelligent EVP Chris Althoff.
- Avoid shortcuts, isolated investments, and know the difference between getting your feet wet and serious implementation when adopting AI.
- Play the long-game with any kind of technology adoption, not just with AI.
That’s all for this week.
See you next Saturday.
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help you:
- Newsletters: Every week we provide actionable business insights tailored to different kinds of companies in healthcare, life sciences, and other health-related industries.
- Community: We’re launching a community for business owners and investors looking to scale their ventures in the industries we serve. You’ll automatically be added to the waitlist by joining any of our newsletters.
- Solutions: If you’re looking to scale with better margins and fewer headaches, you can get in touch with our team here using “Solutions” as your subject line.
