Recent health conference conversations point to a new wave of priorities in healthcare technology. Over the past few weeks, Caregility executives attended Becker’s, HLTH, and KLAS events where AI and nurse enablement were repeatedly underscored as crucial factors in successful digital health transformation. The events provided valuable insights into how healthcare leaders are using technology to support clinical and operational goals, from addressing documentation burdens to building resilience against security risks. Here are some of our team’s key takeaways.
Mike Brandofino, President & COO
Event: Becker’s 9th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference
“Telenursing was top of mind for a lot of folks at Becker’s. There were quite a few discussions about what virtual nursing programs can do and how to effectively deploy technology without negatively impacting bedside teams. Just throwing new technology at problems does not move the needle. Healthcare organizations are taking a more thoughtful approach to collaborative virtual care models.
There’s still a lot of confusion about what to do with AI. There’s concern about the validity of leveraging it in workflows in a way that saves time. The biggest item that healthcare providers are looking for is that documentation piece. Nurse notes, specifically. One session noted that the average nurse spends about four hours of their day documenting care. Many health systems are paying overtime hours for nurses to stay after their shift to do documentation. If health systems are going to get to better ratios, they’re going to need to fix that problem.”
Kedar Ganta, Chief Product & Engineering Officer
Event: KLAS Digital Health Investment Symposium (DHIS) 2024
“Financial margin strains and cybersecurity threats dominated conversations at the KLAS DHIS event. There is growing recognition that navigating the next Black Swan event will require strong planning, governance, redundancies, operational resiliency, and investment in technology. Naturally, AI and cybersecurity repeatedly came up in discussions about building the resilience needed to withstand future disruptions. The recent events involving Change Healthcare and CrowdStrike heightened cybersecurity awareness across the industry. Organizations are actively developing playbooks to train for downtimes and implementing workarounds to ensure resiliency.
There is genuine interest and excitement about the potential of AI, but payer and provider attendees didn’t mince words about the challenges. There is little appetite for ‘black box’ AI and a strong call for greater transparency into what goes into AI. There is significant optimism about ambient speech technology for documentation. Most felt comfortable with the application of AI in revenue cycle management, patient communication, and imaging, but remained cautious about adoption in clinical workspaces.
Overall, there is a strong appetite for adopting technology that drives clinical efficiency and provides performance insights while ensuring security. Organizations are streamlining their tech stacks, prioritizing existing vendors, and leaning on their EHR vendors more to support clinical workflow optimization. Now more than ever, potential solutions are being evaluated through a monetary lens. Organizations recognize that virtual care is here to stay and are taking a strategic approach to broader implementation and governance.”
Jenna Walls, VP, Business Development & Strategic Alliances
Event: HLTH 2024
“At HLTH, it was clear that AI is taking center stage in healthcare, but it’s important to note the shift in sentiment, particularly compared to just six months ago at ViVE. We’re seeing a more comfortable embrace of operational AI, but the industry remains cautious with clinical AI. That stance reflects our own approach to prioritizing responsible, incremental adoption and focusing on how AI enhances workflows rather than simply deploying new technology.
One of the standout discussions was around ambient scribing, but the conversation largely focused on relieving physicians’ burdens. We heard a strong call for similar support for nursing. It was great validation for what we’re addressing at Caregility. Our work with partners to create solutions that serve bedside teams—taking on tasks they don’t want to do or don’t have time to do—is where we see AI making the most positive impact.”