Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1531585
23 INNOVATION Bon Secours Mercy Health's next digital ventures move By Laura Dyrda C incinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health launched Accrete Health Partners in 2022 as a holding company to align digital health teams as well as invest in and scale digital products. Accrete has allowed Bon Secours Mercy Health to stay nimble over the last few years and optimize its digital framework. e system has made strategic investments and is building on existing partnerships to scale technology systemwide. Accrete also leverages new and existing partnerships to co-develop technologies. Over the last year, Bon Secours Mercy Health has focused on the digital front door, engaging in co-development work with Brado to create a digital assistant that guides patients through their healthcare journey. e digital assistant, dubbed Catherine for the founder of the Sisters of Mercy Catherine McAuley, is focused on making patient journeys easier. "e digital front door is a priority," said Mark Townsend, MD, chief clinical digital ventures officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health, on a recent episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. "Another priority is enhancing the workflows of our clinicians, and we've really doubled down on ambient or intelligent documentation, beginning with physicians and providers." e largest clinical workforce is the nursing team, with more than 12,000 system members. Bedside nurses spend about 30% of their time documenting in each shi, and the leadership team wants to change that so nurses have more time to spend with patients. "We started with a pilot in the intelligent documentation space," said Dr. Townsend. "You start with the early adopters and then you get the first followers engaged. e first followers were pretty energetic, as were the early adopters. en the pilot took off very quickly, and it is being scaled throughout the organization for all employees, physicians and providers." Dr. Townsend said the new technology is seen as an investment in the care teams, and it's creating a lot of buzz. Now, everyone wants the intelligent documentation capabilities and that will push the limits of the technology, said Dr. Townsend. "is is not an off-the-shelf product that can be used at the bedside and acute care delivery for our nurses," he said, noting how the team will continue to work on customization. "at's one of the opportunities next year that we're excited about." Accrete partners with Truveta, Nordic, Healthcare Highways, Omny Health and H2O.ai in addition to Brado. n House AI report: 6 takeaways for health system leaders By Giles Bruce A bipartisan U.S. House task force released a report Dec. 17 outlining artificial intelligence policy recommendations, including for healthcare. Here are six key takeaways for hospital and health system leaders: 1. AI can improve healthcare efficiency and patient outcomes. "AI can quickly analyze large data sets and, in so doing, has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, streamline operations, and automate routine tasks, all of which can improve efficiency and efficacy in treatment and reduce the burden for healthcare practitioners, freeing up more time for patient care." 2. Lack of interoperability is holding back healthcare AI. "AI tools that cannot connect with all relevant systems could stifle their adoption and use of these tools. EHR vendors may also avoid facilitating data sharing." 3. Healthcare AI comes with privacy and cybersecurity concerns. "AI tools require large amounts of data — often patient data — that may be used by or shared between various groups, increasing the risk to patient data privacy. There are concerns among providers, healthcare systems, and patients about who has access to data, how it is being used, and if it is safely secured." 4. Healthcare workforces will need to be better trained on AI. "Medical professionals may lack the training to understand whether an error occurred in the AI decision- making process. This not only undermines trust in the output of the AI system but also thwarts the ability of medical professionals and regulators to determine if an AI tool is safe and effective." 5. Liability rules for healthcare AI need to be addressed. "There is limited legal and ethical guidance regarding accountability when AI produces incorrect diagnoses or harmful recommendations. Determining liability becomes increasingly complex as multiple parties become involved in developing and deploying an AI system." 6. Reimbursement policies for healthcare AI are unclear. "Payment for using AI in healthcare services remains an unanswered question, both in its implementation within health systems and in how reimbursement occurs for its use." n