Blog
The Role of Patient Organizations in Accelerating Innovation in Patient Care Through Artificial Intelligence – Pt. 3
Benefits of AI
Harvey Jenner, Principal, Healthcare Solutions, IQVIA
Matt Hackenberg, Associate Principal, Predictive Analytics, IQVIA
Alexandra Weiss Roeser, Director, Non-profit Strategy, Patient Advocacy, IQVIA
Oct 26, 2023

In part three of our blog series, we focus on ways patient organizations can help overcome barriers and play an essential role in the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve outcomes for patients. Read PT. 2 of the blog series.

How patient organizations can help overcome barriers

With their extensive networks and unwavering commitment to patient wellbeing, care, and outcomes, patient organizations emerge as invaluable allies in navigating these challenges. Their insights, collaborations, and advocacy can play a pivotal role in ensuring that AI realizes its full potential in healthcare. The following are a sampling of ways patient organizations can help overcome barriers and play an essential role in the adoption and use of AI to improve outcomes for patients.

Funding support

Patient organizations are in a unique position where they can invest in areas that are not currently being served well, or are underserved, where traditional grant making mechanisms aren't available because government funding or commercially led interests don't align. The groups can prioritize patient needs in these areas with their funding decisions and diversify their research and grant strategies to enable these initiatives, building new kinds of partnerships outside of their traditional area of expertise. Thus, they can fund innovative initiatives such as AI through their own grant mechanisms.

In addition, given their strong convening power, there are opportunities to seek funding from external stakeholders to fund the development of novel algorithms, such as pharmaceutical companies with common interests.

Data access

Patient organizations can play a key role when it comes to data access. Often these organizations themselves sit upon a wealth of information in the form of their patient data initiatives. This data can be used alone as a foundation for the model development or can be used in conjunction with other data. For example, in rare diseases, registry data can be used to complement other datasets to confirm the diagnosis of rare diseases where ICD 10 codes alone are not sufficient to identify patients.

In addition, given the strong convening power of these organizations, patient organizations can convene with the physician networks they engage with to provide data into these AI programs. They also can form partnerships with other healthcare providers (HCPs), research institutions, or other organizations to provide access to broader and more diverse datasets for AI development.

Demystifying AI and elevating provider education

With their extensive networks and credibility, patient organizations are uniquely positioned to leverage their distribution channels to highlight AI's benefits, address adoption challenges, and foster clinician education and trust. They can drive AI's transformative potential in healthcare by dispelling misconceptions, showcasing ROI opportunities, and aiding in the seamless integration of new technologies into traditional systems.

Support implementation

By leveraging their reputation and reach, patient organizations can bridge the gap between AI-driven insights and practical implementation. They lend legitimacy to guidelines and practice standards, addressing clinician concerns about the underlying drivers of new care delivery models. Their credibility ensures that interventions, even those funded by pharmaceutical entities, are viewed with trust, especially if aligned with the organization's goals.

By tailoring documentation to the appropriate audience and sharing AI findings among clinicians, experts, and regulators, they can foster collaborations that integrate these insights into the latest clinical guidelines. Tangible examples include updating guidelines, publishing, and disseminating findings, and creating clinical decision support tools. Their role in facilitating education and awareness campaigns ensures medical professionals understand and embrace AI's benefits. Additionally, they can arm patients with these resources and educational tools to guide HCP interactions.

Patient organizations also play a pivotal role in successfully integrating these AI-driven tools and insights into healthcare workflows. Successful AI workflow integration requires a holistic approach that combines technical expertise, effective communication, and a commitment to ongoing improvement. Through dedicated and targeted efforts, they can adeptly navigate the challenges tied to AI adoption, fortify trust in AI technologies, and ultimately elevate the quality of patient care delivery.

To learn more about how IQVIA can help you with AI, contact us at pr-contact@iqvia.com.

Read the next chapter in the Role of Patient Organizations Series

Part four of this blog series focuses on ways patient organizations can help overcome barriers and play an essential role in the adoption and use of AI to improve outcomes for patients.

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