In the constantly evolving healthcare landscape, the integration of artificial intelligence technology holds immense promise for transforming nursing practice.
With AI becoming increasingly prevalent, nurses stand at the forefront, ready to leverage its potential to drive positive patient outcomes and streamline clinical workflows, said Anna E. Schoenbaum, DNP, RN, vice president of applications and digital health at Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine.
AI’s transformative impact
At Penn Medicine, Schoenbaum oversees a wide portfolio, including the health system’s PennChart portal, clinical imaging, predictive health, medical decision support, digital applications and more.
She’s also deeply immersed in the role of AI in healthcare, and she says the technology will have a transformative impact across various informatics nursing roles and profound implications for patient care delivery overall.
Schoenbaum also is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She actively engages with HIMSS (the parent company of Healthcare IT News), serving as a co-chair of the Nursing Innovation Advisory Workgroup and as a member of the HIMSS Provider Executive Summit and CXO Experience Advisory Board.
In recognition of her significant contributions to the health IT field, Schoenbaum received the 2023 HIMSS and ANI Changemaker Nursing Informatics Award.
AI will redefine nursing informatics roles, she says.
“In the era of AI, application leaders emerge as catalysts for innovation, spearheading the integration of AI-powered software solutions tailored to meet the dynamic clinical and operational demands of healthcare settings,” Schoenbaum explained.
“By harnessing AI algorithms for predictive analytics and natural language processing, application leaders can optimize healthcare applications, enhancing decision-making processes and ultimately improving patient outcomes.
“Regarding clinical leaders, nurses, serving as frontline advocates, possess a unique vantage point to champion the seamless integration of AI technology into clinical practice,” she continued.
“Embracing AI-powered clinical decision support systems empowers clinical leaders to leverage predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms, enabling the identification of intricate patterns in patient data for more informed decision-making at the point of care.”
Frontline providers’ needs
Furthermore, collaboration with AI developers ensures technologies resonate with frontline healthcare providers’ needs and preferences, she added.
“Operational leaders play a pivotal role in strategically driving the adoption of AI technology across healthcare organizations,” Schoenbaum noted. “By leveraging AI-powered tools for resource allocation, workflow optimization and performance monitoring, operational leaders can enhance operational efficiency and streamline care delivery processes.
“Collaborating with AI developers enables the design of tailored solutions to address specific operational challenges, thereby enhancing overall organizational performance,” she added.
Then there is the role of information services and support teams.
Seamless integration of AI
“Serving as the technical backbone of AI implementation, IS and support teams provide invaluable expertise in system architecture, cybersecurity and user training,” she said. “Through close collaboration with AI developers and healthcare providers, these teams ensure the seamless integration of AI technology into existing infrastructure and workflows.
“Additionally, they facilitate comprehensive user training programs, empowering nursing staff to effectively use AI-powered tools in their daily practice,” she continued.
With their profound understanding of clinical workflows and data management principles, clinical informatics professionals play a pivotal role in translating AI-driven insights into actionable strategies to improve patient care, she said.
“Leveraging AI-powered data analytics tools, these professionals identify trends, patterns and correlations within vast datasets, enabling evidence-based decision-making and personalized care delivery,” she explained.
“Furthermore, collaboration with AI developers facilitates the design and implementation of AI-driven interventions tailored to address specific clinical challenges, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.”
Nursing informatics indispensable
As AI technology continues to evolve, the role of nursing informatics in driving its integration into clinical practice becomes increasingly indispensable, she contended.
“By embracing AI-powered solutions and leveraging their expertise in clinical workflows and data management, informatics nursing roles are poised to lead the transformation of patient care delivery,” Schoenbaum stated.
“Through active collaboration with AI developers, healthcare providers and organizational leaders, nurses can harness the full potential of AI to optimize clinical workflows, improve decision-making processes, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes in the digital age.
“It is imperative for healthcare leaders to remain immersed in the conversation and reflection surrounding AI technology – fostering curiosity, participation in governance processes, understanding tangible measurements of success, and diligent monitoring of outcomes and outputs,” she concluded.
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