Despite congressional concerns, AI use rises in the healthcare industry

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Hospitals, doctor's offices, and pharmacies across the U.S. are already using artificial intelligence. However, many patients, including members of Congress, are still unsure about the technology.

"I have to admit that there were different parts of your testimony where I really didn't understand what you were talking about," said U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-CA, during a hearing Wednesday. 

Eshoo questioned healthcare executives about what AI actually looks like in practice.

Dr. Michael Schlosser, the senior vice president of care transformation and innovation at HCA Healthcare, said AI is reducing the amount of time doctors and nurses spend doing paperwork, particularly in emergency rooms.

"[Doctors and nurses] can spend more time with the patient, communicating with the patient," Dr. Schlosser explained. "They're seeing upwards of 20 to 30 percent of their time returned to them."

Peter Shen, the North American head of digital health at Siemens Healthineers, said using AI as a companion to clinicians will ultimately improve patient outcomes, from earlier detection of a disease to better treatment options.

"We're not looking for AI to actually replace what that clinician is trying to do from a diagnosis or therapeutic standpoint," Shen said.

But lawmakers and experts alike remain concerned that AI needs more and more patient data to train and improve it, and that data sometimes does not fall under HIPAA protections.

"We double-check that that data is truly de-identified," Shen said. 

To protect patient information, Congress is considering guardrails like a national data privacy standard and taking steps to increase transparency so patients know when and how their doctors are using AI.

President Biden recently issued a broad executive order on AI, directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a framework for the responsible use of the technology.