AI at ViVE: The two-minute drill

Los Angeles - As expected, AI emerged as the main topic of discussion at ViVE, but those in attendance offered some noteworthy and perhaps surprising assessments.

Here are some observations from interviews and panel sessions.

The speed of AI: Hospital and healthcare technology leaders say AI is progressing so rapidly that it’s hard to predict what the healthcare system is going to look like. It was equated to a new version of the iPhone coming out once a week.

AI and ROI: Hospitals and health systems are investing more in AI, and they aren’t willing to wait long to see solid returns on those investments. Simply put, they want to see results.

Shorter contracts: Several leaders say they’re looking at relatively short-term contracts. They’re less likely to agree to long-term tech contracts. If their partners live up to their billing, health systems will stick with them.

Ambient documentation: AI-powered tools to summarize clinician-patient conversations continue to win more fans. Doctors, nurses and executives point to better conversations, and AI-generated notes picking up details that could be missed.

Retention and recruiting: Hospital leaders at ViVE and other conferences say ambient documentation is reducing stress for doctors. In some cases, doctors who were thinking about retiring are reconsidering those decisions, due to ambient documentation easing some headaches. And some doctors applying for jobs are asking if the system is offering AI documentation tools.