Building Trust in Healthcare AI: Leaders Weigh in
Healthcare leaders recently gathered at a Fortune-hosted dinner in New York to discuss the insights from Philips’ 2025 Future Health Index (FHI) report and explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare delivery. The conversation, moderated by Fortune’s Jason Del Rey, featured frontline leaders Dr. Shez Partovi from Philips, Dr. Jill Kalman from Northwell Health, and Dr. David Reich from Mount Sinai Hospital. The consensus was clear: AI earns its place in healthcare when it gives time back to clinicians and builds confidence with patients.
Five Key Takeaways from the Discussion
- Trust Starts at the Patient Bedside The FHI report reveals a significant optimism gap between clinicians and patients regarding AI in healthcare. While 63% of U.S. clinicians believe AI can improve patient outcomes, only 48% of patients share this optimism. Dr. Partovi emphasized that patient trust increases when AI is combined with input from physicians and nurses. The data supports this, showing that 79% of U.S. patients feel more comfortable with AI when a physician explains it.
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Time, Not Tech, is Clinicians’ Scarcest Resource According to the FHI report, over 75% of U.S. clinicians lose time due to incomplete or inaccessible data, with one-third losing over 45 minutes per shift. Dr. Kalman highlighted the need to eliminate unnecessary tasks through automation, citing prior authorization processes as prime examples. Effective AI design should ease time pressure on clinicians, not add complexity.
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Enhancing Clinical Expertise and Patient Care Dr. Reich discussed how AI tools can handle routine tasks, allowing healthcare providers to focus on critical interactions. For instance, Mount Sinai’s AI-powered alert system for aortic dissection rapidly identifies life-threatening conditions, enabling swift action by surgical teams. The implementation of NutriScan AI also significantly improved malnutrition diagnosis accuracy and enhanced dietitians’ job satisfaction.
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ROI Isn’t Optional Implementing AI requires demonstrating clear value, Dr. Reich emphasized. Dr. Partovi illustrated this with Philips’ Compact Ultrasound 5500CV, which uses AI to halve cardiac scan times, enhancing patient throughput and reducing clinician workload. AI must deliver clinical, workflow, and financial impact to succeed in real-world care.
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Partnership Powers Progress The panel stressed the importance of collaboration between health systems and tech partners. Dr. Kalman noted the shift from traditional vendor models to genuine partnership models in healthcare technology. Dr. Partovi reinforced this, highlighting that the richest data resides within provider organizations, making open ecosystems and collaboration crucial for successful AI deployments.
The Bottom Line
AI’s promise in healthcare lies in giving clinicians back what they need most: time. When designed with providers and introduced transparently, AI becomes more than a tool—it becomes a way to deliver better care for more people. The key to successful AI integration is building trust through clinician involvement, eliminating unnecessary tasks, enhancing patient care, demonstrating clear ROI, and fostering partnerships between healthcare providers and technology companies.
