AI Policies Are Setting Stage To Transform Healthcare But More Is Needed

White House and federal leaders have been working behind the scenes to lay the groundwork to use technology for dramatic improvements in healthcare. Since the announcement of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative earlier this year there has been increased funding and agency proposals that will lead to more accurate diagnoses, earlier treatments and ultimately empower patients be in control of their own health. But even more attention is needed to keep America competitive on the global AI front. 

The Executive AI Initiative provided a technology road map including healthcare. The President signed an Executive Order in February 2019 setting the tone for improved data connectivity and stronger public-private partnerships to spark new products in the marketplace and inspire entrepreneurs. It highlights the need for better ways to connect the vast amounts of data that need to be sorted and ultimately harnessed for patients’ benefit. The Initiative mandates that heads of government research agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) develop and identifying new AI programs, explore collaborations with the private sector and help train new generations of data scientists. AI hungers for data and the Initiative helps focus efforts on better methods to connect the countless dark pockets that are inaccessible or hoarded by some organizations. Connectivity is a considerable problem. Healthcare data is expected to double three times each year, leading to zettabytes of information which is utterly impossible to process using historical standards. All of us need the ability to fluidly access our health data and choose AI systems using modern predictive algorithms. 

New data standards proposals by Health and Human Services will empower patients and lead to better, faster diagnosis. The proposal would require electronic medical record (EMR) companies to provide portals called APIs for patients to access and share their health data. Currently it is ridiculously complex and expensive for patients to get copies of their own records. Shockingly, it may cost over $500 to get your medical record. Accessibility and data sharing are critical for better, faster diagnosis and treatments. AI has been used to predict heart attacks five years into the future. It is also able to predict who is at the greatest risk for suffering from depression. The new standards would put the patient in control of who uses their data and for what purposes. Entrepreneurial companies are leveraging venture dollars to build the best AI capabilities in the world, but they need access to health data to prove their benefits to patients. Patients should be able to choose how their data is used. 

Nearly a billion dollars has been committed to AI research and development which will lead to smarter health institutions. An important program enables learning health systems through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Under this model hospitals collect data on treatments, filter for better outcomes and create automatic feedback loops to continually improve care. Other programs include better clinical decision support tools and consumer facing technologies. For instance, seniors would be able to use AI powered apps to help decide which Medicare Advantage programs are best suited (and cost effective) for their health and medication requirements. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making it easier to use mobile devices that collect real world data and paint a better picture of what drugs are working. The current model of drug approvals was based on the outdated notion of collecting limited data under laboratory-like conditions. Now we have the computing capability to process much larger amounts of information. Recognizing this, the outgoing FDA commissioner Scott Gotlieb put in place new regulatory systems to allow to use data from the real world, meaning continuous collection that reflects multiple ailments called co-morbid conditions and drug interactions. The FDA has also been modernizing guidance standards including how to approve software that uses AI as patient treatment.

Better AI healthcare programs help America maintain its global competitive edge. The United States has long enjoyed status as the world’s medical innovator as evidenced by our output of novel medications, devices and software as a therapeutic. However, other countries are gaining the lead in adoption of digital health. China’s government investment into AI research and development is more than 10 times that of the US. The top countries where healthcare professionals use technology to support clinical diagnosis and prompt patients with appropriate information are China, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. These countries’ health technology adoption rates twice the rest of the world. With continued focus and resources we could maintain our global healthcare technological leadership.