BusinessAI Nurses: Balancing Efficiency with Quality of Care
The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is raising critical questions about the future of patient care. As hospitals grapple with staffing shortages and the demand for enhanced efficiency, AI solutions, often dubbed “BusinessAI” nurses, are emerging as a potential answer. But these technological advancements also ignite concerns among healthcare professionals about the human element in patient care. The central question is whether AI can enhance care or potentially threaten the quality of treatment.
AI programs offer numerous benefits. Companies such as Hippocratic AI, which has initially promoted a rate of $9 an hour for its AI assistants, offer automated solutions for time-consuming tasks traditionally performed by nurses and medical assistants. These systems can monitor vital signs, flag emergencies, and develop step-by-step action plans. Hospitals are now using increasingly sophisticated computer programs to do these things and more. Proponents argue that the technology can reduce staff burnout and address understaffing in the healthcare industry.
However, nursing unions are expressing apprehension about the trend. Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United stated, “Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses.” She suggests the healthcare ecosystem is designed to automate processes, de-skill healthcare providers, and eventually remove caregivers completely. This organization has organized demonstrations at hospitals across the nation, advocating for nurses’ rights to influence AI implementation and protection from disciplinary action for disagreeing with automated advice, in the name of patient care. The group raised further alarms when public figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who supported the use of AI nurses, made similar suggestions.
Risks and Realities of AI in Patient Care
AI’s effectiveness in a clinical setting is still debated. While AI proponents suggest the technology can improve care and streamline costs through the use of sensors, microphones, and cameras, risks exist. The system at Dignity Health in Henderson, Nevada, flagged a patient with sepsis, which led to a protocol for treatment. However, the attending nurse, Adam Hart, observed that the patient was a dialysis patient and thus not indicated for the fluid protocol, but was told to follow the standard. Only after a physician’s intervention did the patient receive appropriate care. Hart explained, “You need to keep your thinking cap on— that’s why you’re being paid as a nurse.” AI, in this case, would have caused a potentially dangerous reaction. Melissa Beebe, a cancer nurse, explained, “You’re trying to focus on your work but then you’re getting all these distracting alerts that may or may not mean something… It’s hard to even tell when it’s accurate and when it’s not because there are so many false alarms.”
Balancing Technology and Human Expertise
While the technology cannot yet duplicate the unique skills of a human nurse, some healthcare professionals are optimistic about the potential of AI to enhance care. Michelle Collins, dean of Loyola University’s College of Nursing, stated, “It would be foolish to turn our back on this completely. We should embrace what it can do to augment our care, but we should also be careful it doesn’t replace the human element.” More than 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the population ages and nurses retire, the U.S. government expects the number of openings for nurses to grow. Faced with this, hospital administrators see AI as a way to help nurses collect information and communicate with patients.
The Future of BusinessAI in Healthcare
Despite the concerns raised, many hospitals continue to implement AI solutions in healthcare. The University of Arkansas Medical Sciences uses an AI assistant from Qventus that contacts patients, sends medical records, and summarizes their contents for staff. Dr. Joseph Sanford, who oversees the center’s health IT, explained that the assistants are fully transparent about their identity. Israeli startup Xoltar is developing AI assistants to help patients manage chronic pain and provide cessation support. These programs may be optimal for relatively healthy and proactive patients, but questions remain about the application in more critical scenarios. Roschelle Fritz of the University of California Davis School of Nursing noted, “It’s the very sick who are taking up the bulk of health care in the U.S. and whether or not chatbots are positioned for those folks is something we really have to consider.” The ongoing dialogue between healthcare professionals, policymakers, and technology developers will shape the responsible integration of AI into healthcare.
