Summary

In this episode of Chaos Whispers of Healthcare, Dr. Megan Carter interviews Rich Kenny, a nurse leader and AI expert, discussing the
evolving landscape of AI in healthcare. Rich shares his experiences in leadership, the importance of relationships in chaotic situations, and how
curiosity and frustration drove him towards innovation. The conversation delves into the significance of AI in healthcare, the challenges leaders face in keeping up with technology, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI deployment. Rich emphasizes the need for nurses to be involved in AI
development and the potential benefits and threats AI poses to patient care.

Takeaways

• Curiosity and frustration can drive innovation.
• Nurses must advocate for better tech integration.
•  AI is already present in many healthcare tools.
• Clinician documentation burden is a key area for AI implementation.
• Greatest gift: AI can (and should) help alleviate non-essential task burden for all clinicians so they can get more direct care time with patients (research shows more direct care time leads to safer outcomes)
• Greatest threat: AI tools are capable of potentiating pre-existing bias in healthcare systems that can further harm marginalized communities (“digital redlining”)
• Nurses play a vital role in AI deployment success.
• Ethics and liability in AI are critical considerations, including “missed use” opportunities

Chaos Whispering Practical Tips

1.     AI literacy: speakers/workshops/virtual events (such as Rich Kenny)

2.    Where to get reliable AI information. 3 P’s (Publications, People, Pilots):

a. New England Journal of Medicine

b. AONL (Leadership Innovation Technology Transformation) committee/resources

c.  Robbie Freeman (CNIO Mount Sinai): https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbie-freeman-rn/

d.  Michael Carey (DUSON): https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-cary-98262375/

e.  Micky Tripathi (Chief AI Implementation Officer Mayo Clinic ): https://www.linkedin.com/in/micky-tripathi/

f.    Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS): https://www.himss.org/

g.  Health systems with innovative AI pilots/adoptions: Kaiser Permanente, Intermountain Health, Mayo Clinic

h.  Health Management Academy (HMA): https://hmacademy.com/

3.     Key facts about AI every healthcare leader should know:

a.  AI is already here (sepsis/deterioration indices, CT scanners, etc) so it’s not about getting ready but more about embracing it and implementing it in an ethical way as it evolves

b.  There is significant industry focus on leveraging AI to relieve documentation burden on physicians through scribing, but it’s coming to nursing and will be complex

c.  Nurses are KEY to the adoption/implementation of AI tools. Always ensure a nurse and/or nurse leader is at the discussion table.

d.  Considering ethics and liability: not only is misuse of AI a focus but also missed use (as in, has the health organization missed an opportunity to leverage AI to improve outcomes)

Connect with our Guest:

You can find Rich Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richgkenny/

Connect with Dr. Carter:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-megan-carter-dnp-rn-nea-bc/

Company Website: https://www.mchealthcareconsultingllc.com

Podcast official website: https://www.mchealthcareconsultingllc.com/cw-podcast

Keywords

healthcare leadership, AI in healthcare, nurse leadership,
innovation, technology integration, chaos in healthcare, healthcare challenges, nursing informatics, healthcare technology, patient care