AHIMA Launches Resource Hub for Non-Clinical AI Use in Healthcare

February 09, 2024 - The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has launched its AI Resource Hub to provide healthcare and health information (HI) stakeholders with knowledge around the use of non-clinical artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

In response to the rise of AI utilization in healthcare, AHIMA partnered with Alazro Consulting to interview experts in the space and AI implementers representing over 200 hospitals and 1,000 clinics across the United States. These structured interviews were then used to develop AHIMA’s newest white paper, upon which the AI Resource Hub is based.  

One of the white paper’s major findings is that the use of AI in healthcare is growing as organizations turn to the technology to optimize efficiency and workflows. These tools are often deployed to support health information management, clinical care, operations, and revenue cycle management.

However, the surge in AI utilization requires stakeholders to effectively balance the benefits and risks that come with the tools, which presents a significant challenge. The white paper indicates that maintaining authentication and ensuring documentation integrity are major concerns, despite AI’s potential to automate repetitive tasks and boost efficiency in these areas.

Maintaining the privacy and security of these systems, reducing bias and risks of over-reliance, implementing adequate governance infrastructure, and training the workforce are also key issues that healthcare stakeholders must contend with when deploying AI.

The white paper also underscores the importance of policy considerations around healthcare AI. Respondents noted that public policies to provide oversight of AI technologies are needed to maximize their benefits while minimizing their potential harms.

The white paper suggests that such policies could require health AI developers to support end users by providing them with information on how to use the tools and monitor the AI’s performance over time.

“As healthcare organizations continue to expand their use of AI-enabled tools for administrative and operational functions, they will need to increase their understanding of how they work, conduct due diligence, ensure they have the information they need to implement them safely and fairly, and develop strong governance approaches. At the same time, policymakers will need to ensure that technology developers are supporting end users in safe and effective deployments,” the white paper states.

The white paper and resource hub are part of AHIMA’s ongoing efforts to support healthcare professionals as the AI landscape continues to shift.

"This groundbreaking hub, combined with our comprehensive white paper, exemplifies our dedication to empowering our community with knowledge and insights as we collectively embrace the advantages and address the challenges of AI in shaping the future of healthcare,” said Mona Calhoun, PhD, MS, MEd, RHIA, FAHIMA, president and chair of AHIMA, in the press release.

As hype around AI’s potential in healthcare grows, industry leaders are increasingly working to help guide its safe implementation and use.

In a January interview with HealthITAnalytics, Michael McGinnis, MD, the Leonard D. Schaeffer executive officer of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), discussed the organization’s Artificial Intelligence Code of Conduct (AICC) and how it contributes to the larger conversation around the governance architecture needed to support responsible AI deployment in healthcare.