Tracking the latest in AI, ChatGPT

Organizations use AI to solve some of their most fundamental challenges, from health systems and payers to vendors. The release of OpenAI’s generative AI-enabled chatbot ChatGPT has opened healthcare organizations to a world of possibilities. Check back for the latest in healthcare AI.

The companies said that GE HealthCare signed an AI-centered partnership with radiology provider RadNet on Monday. The two companies will work together to develop AI solutions that can address clinical challenges in imaging. Its initial work within this collaboration will focus on women receiving breast care through AI-enabled mammography systems. The Chicago-based digital health company is looking to stake its claim as radiology emerges as a key area poised to benefit from AI. RadNet, which operates nearly 400 imaging centers, saw a 20% jump in its share price on Monday after the deal was announced.

Patients want small talk from AI doctors

Patients don’t mind an artificial intelligence doctor as long as they’re willing to engage in small talk, according to a study from researchers at Penn State. Researchers asked 382 online participants to interact with a medical chatbot over two visits spaced about two weeks apart. They found that the more social information an AI doctor recalls about patients, the higher the patients’ satisfaction, but only if they were offered privacy control. The AI doctor used a pre-compiled script to chat with patients about topics related to diet, fitness, lifestyle, sleep, and mental health.

Where health systems are heading with AI

Health system executives are cautious about the hype of AI. They are trying to understand the risks, opportunities, and processes needed to adopt the technology. Here’s what executives at seven healthcare organizations said about where they stand with AI today.

Microsoft partners with Medline for AI tool

Technology giant Microsoft announced Wednesday it planned to build an AI tool with medical supply chain company Medline. The companies said the tool, dubbed Mpower, will aim to ease inventory management workflows and give users recommendations they can choose to implement. The tool will be built on Microsoft’s 365 suite of applications. Last Thursday, Microsoft said it was adding new AI tools for healthcare customers in partnership with electronic health record vendor Epic Systems.

GE Healthcare to lead generative health AI consortium

GE Healthcare said it is taking a leadership role in Synthia, a consortium that will evaluate synthetic data generation methods for their use in the development of AI in healthcare. Synthetic data is artificially generated to replicate real patient data. Synthetic data may potentially be used to overcome challenges such as the scarcity of real datasets, biased or non-generalizable training data, and privacy concerns. GE will be joined by investment Gates Ventures and big pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Pfizer. The Chicago-based digital health company is looking to stake its claim as radiology emerges as a key area poised to benefit from AI.

Community Health Systems to bring in AI chatbots for call centers

Community Health Systems said Monday it has signed a deal to bring chatbots from artificial intelligence startup Denim Health to work in the health system’s call centers. The Franklin, Tennessee-based hospital chain will use Denim’s AI chatbots in its call center to serve around 1,000 CHS-affiliated primary care providers and handle more than 25,000 inbound calls daily. The health system said it has been working with Denim Health since late 2023 to develop the technology and incorporate conversational AI into its call centers. A CHS spokesperson said staffing would not be affected by this move.

Abridge launches AI research effort with Epic, CMS

AI vendor Abridge is launching a clinical research collaborative dedicated to studying the impact of ambient AI across five key focus areas: clinician experience, patient experience, healthcare costs, outcomes, and health equity. Dr. Jackie Gerhart, chief medical officer at EHR vendor Epic will be a part of Abridge’s research collaborative along with leaders from Yale New Haven Health System, Stanford School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ambient AI documentation technology takes a recording of a doctor-patient conversation and turns it into usable clinical notes in the electronic health record. Abridge, which is partnering with Epic for the EHR company’s Workshop program, is one of the leading vendors in the space.

California governor signs AI bills targeting providers, insurers

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed several artificial intelligence-related bills into law, including two specifically focused on healthcare. Read more.

Duke Health, SAS sign two-year deal for AI development

Durham, North Carolina-based Duke Health has signed a two-year contract with global analytics company SAS. Through the collaboration, Duke Health will use SAS’ Viya data and AI platform and health applications. They will also work together to develop and commercialize AI-powered digital twinning solutions and real-time process monitoring. The two organizations have previously announced their partnership in April 2023.

AI in healthcare: Latest updates on generative AI, ChatGPT, more | Modern Healthcare