MGMA Business Solutions: Dr. Alex Ding on harnessing AI to address clinician burnout and patient care

The healthcare industry is rapidly embracing artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool to address pressing challenges, from reducing administrative burdens to improving patient outcomes. In a recent episode of the MGMA Business Solutions Podcast, host Daniel Williams sat down with Dr. Alex Ding, Associate VP for Physician Strategy and Medical Affairs at Humana, to discuss the findings of the MGMA Humana AI Adoption Report. This collaborative research sheds light on the current state of AI adoption in healthcare and the promising opportunities it presents for medical practices.

AI's Role in Addressing Clinician Burnout

One key area where AI is making a significant impact is alleviating the administrative burdens that contribute to clinician burnout. As Dr. Ding explains, "In the form of ambient AI, think of it as a virtual scribe, with over two-thirds of those organizations who adopted AI cited this as the use case in their organization."

This technology, which leverages AI to automate documentation and transcription tasks, can dramatically reduce the time and effort required for clinicians to complete these essential but time-consuming activities. Dr. Ding highlights how at least half of clinicians surveyed nationwide cite administrative and documentation requirements as some of the top reasons for burnout. “This is, to me, a low-risk way to get into AI, but also a great way to get clinician buy-in because you’re doing it in a way that supports them.”

Streamlining Workflows and Improving Efficiency

Beyond addressing clinician burnout, AI-powered tools are also proving effective in streamlining workflows and improving operational efficiency within medical practices. Dr. Ding notes how the AI Adoption Report cites operational efficiency as a top ROI metric, saying, “Streamlined workflows directly reduce time and costs that are spent on administrative tasks and getting more productivity in their organization without necessarily everyone having to work harder to achieve that."

The report also highlights the potential for AI to enhance revenue cycle management (RCM) processes by automating coding and claims processes, reducing denials, and ensuring that payments align with delivered care. “I think these tools are going to continue to evolve and get better and really prove themselves in terms of value,” Dr. Ding emphasizes.

Leveraging AI in Value-Based Care

The AI Adoption Report reveals that practices operating in value-based care models are more likely to embrace AI technologies. As Dr. Ding explained, "Value-based care, with its different incentives [and] different payment model, really does incentivize management of populations and panels of patients, and the use of predictive AI models can really improve that efficiency in managing these complex patient populations."

In value-based care settings, AI tools can support a range of applications, including remote patient monitoring, care coordination, and predictive analytics to identify high-risk patients and proactively address their needs. Dr. Ding highlights, "Nearly half of the respondents noted that improved patient outcomes is particularly a compelling non-financial metric that really increases that buy-in from clinicians and clinical leaders."

Addressing Barriers to AI Adoption

While the potential benefits of AI in healthcare are clear, the report also notes several barriers to widespread adoption. Chief among these is the need for education and training to build trust and understanding among healthcare professionals.

"Organizations really should be prioritizing education of their workforce on AI tools, and also to be ensuring that resources are available for both technical guidance but also ethical guidance," Dr. Ding says.

Governance and ethical considerations are also crucial. Dr. Ding explains that "Nearly three-quarters of organizations really don't have any formal governance structures in place at all. But I do think it is a crucial element, because as you learn more about AI, you learn that there's shortcomings [and] there's limitations that the users and the adopters really do need to understand."

Looking Ahead: Unlocking the Full Potential of AI

As healthcare organizations continue to navigate AI’s expanding role, the AI Adoption Report offers valuable insights and guidance on the strategic deployment of AI-powered solutions. By addressing the barriers to adoption and leveraging AI’s benefits, medical practices can unlock the full potential of this transformative technology to better support clinicians and patients alike.

As Dr. Ding highlights AI’s potential, he says “There’s an opportunity to increase and build that workforce capacity by offloading a lot of this administrative stuff to AI, such that you can really focus on the patient and increase access to care as well.”

Resources:

• Read the Full MGMA-Humana AI Adoption Report
• Explore MGMA’s AI Resources by visiting our homepage and clicking Ask AI
• Visit Humana's website to learn more about their plans and coverage
• Connect with Dr. Alex Ding on LinkedIn