New AMA Guidance on AI Adoption and Governance Is Essential for CMOs
With the brisk pace of artificial intelligence tool expansion, it is imperative for Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and other healthcare leaders to implement policies for AI tool adoption and governance.
Key Takeaways
The American Medical Association (AMA) has identified eight foundational elements for responsible AI adoption:
- Establishing accountability and structure for executives
- Forming a working group to detail priorities, processes, and policies
- Assessing current policies for AI adoption
- Developing new policies for AI adoption
- Defining project intake, vendor evaluation, and assessment processes
- Updating standard planning and implementation processes
- Establishing an oversight and monitoring process
- Supporting AI organizational readiness
AI governance has become a hot topic in healthcare discussions, particularly within the HealthLeaders AI in Clinical Care Mastermind program. Participants emphasize the necessity for health systems to adopt a comprehensive approach to AI governance and to initiate these efforts as early as possible.
The Importance of AI Governance
The rapid pace of AI tool adoption in healthcare underscores the need for robust governance and adoption policies. As technology evolves quicker than implementation capabilities, establishing an appropriate governance structure is crucial. According to a leading expert, “Technology is moving very, very quickly. It’s moving much faster than we’re able to actually implement these tools.”
How Health Systems are Managing AI Governance
Several health systems are taking proactive steps in establishing AI governance structures:
Providence
Providence Health System employs a methodical approach to AI governance, ensuring alignment with its mission, values, and organizational priorities. Their governance structure includes:
- An AI guardrails workgroup led by the chief data officer
- An information protection committee led by the chief information security officer
- A data ethics council led by the chief ethicist
According to the former chief clinical officer, this comprehensive approach prioritizes patient safety, privacy, and the ethical use of AI.
Community Health Network
Community Health Network has established an executive steering committee to identify and prioritize AI tools and use cases. The committee is composed of various leaders, including the director of AI and data governance, the CMO, and technical staff:
“You need to have the governance in place to make sure that you understand all of the tools that are being used, how the tools are being used, the intended outcome of usage, and how you mitigate bias,” advised the executive vice president and chief transformation officer.
UMass Memorial Health
UMass Memorial Health has formed an AI governance committee dedicated to the adoption and implementation of AI tools in clinical care. This committee aims to establish policies and processes for the various AI tools being requested within the organization:
“We are establishing a policy and a process for working through the different kinds of AI tools that are being requested at the organization,” stated the chief quality officer.
The committee includes clinicians, IT staff, legal team members, risk management personnel, ethicists, and health equity advocates, all focused on safely implementing AI tools.
In conclusion, as the healthcare landscape continues to evolve with the rapid integration of AI technologies, establishing clear governance and adoption policies is essential for CMOs and other leaders to ensure that AI tools enhance patient care while maintaining safety and ethical standards.
