CHICAGO — Despite the challenge of implementing it, artificial intelligence is a “game changer” that potentially could revolutionize almost every aspect of healthcare delivery, according to home care leaders.
“There’s nothing that won’t be touched in our industry by AI in some way, shape or form,” Caring Senior Services CEO Jeff Salter said Monday during a panel discussion at the 2023 Home Care Association of America National Conference.
One of the most exciting uses for AI, according to Salter, is that it gives providers an opportunity to make sense of unstructured, difficult-to-interpret data. For example, AI can identify and analyze isolation better than more basic algorithm-based technologies, which require detailed, laborious data entry on the part of caregivers, Salter said. By using AI, caregivers can more efficiently prescribe care for a lonely patient, he said.
Everything from scheduling, patient-caregiver matching, analysis of shift notes and clinical documentation has the potential to be made easier by AI, according to Wyatt Godfrey, vice president of technology at home care provider Right at Home. But these advancements will not come easily, members of the panel agreed. Resistance to new technologies on the part of employees and clients can pose challenges for providers looking to implement cutting-edge tools.
“There’s definitely going to be continued pushback from people that are not knowledgeable, so our job is to really help educate them on what we’re trying to accomplish and how it can benefit them,” Salter said in an interview with McKnight’s Home Care following the session. The beginning stages of implementing new technology can be the hardest, he noted, so change management is key.
To make this transition easier, it’s wise to find AI solutions that not only work well with existing technologies but also seamlessly integrate into the systems that already are in place. AI tools embedded into other software reduce the number of logins an employee needs to perform throughout the workday. Numerous log-ins can reduce operational efficiency and can lead to burnout, according to Godfrey.
“Because of AI, the types of things that will be critical to your employees and staff will be different,” he said. In the next three to five years, everything from hiring practices to office management will be changed by AI, so the people must be able to adapt alongside, Godfrey added.
In Arizona, Cypress HomeCare Solutions has been exploring AI applications that can help offset rising care costs. Company co-founder and Managing Partner Bob Roth expressed his excitement for the technology in the panel discussion.
“This isn’t something you should be scared of, but it’s something that will help us do our jobs better,” Roth said. “And at the end of the day, we’re going to have happier clients and we’re going to keep them at home because that’s where they want to be.”
