HJAR Jan/Feb 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2024 35 Joseph W. Thompson, MD, MPH President and Chief Executive Officer Arkansas Center for Health Improvement MANY of these advances are already dem- onstrating their ability to improve the quality of patient care and the efficiency of health- care services delivery, but we must also be on guard against potential negative impacts such as depersonalized care, increasing digi- tal divides, compromised patient privacy, and increased health disparities. In my last column, I noted that the Ar- kansas Center for Health Improvement was marking its 25th anniversary and reflected on its history as an independent, nonpar- tisan health policy center that serves as a catalyst for improving the health of all Ar- kansans. We at ACHI wanted to observe the occasion not only by looking back but also by looking forward. So, in the fall, we hosted two symposia — one in Little Rock and one in Fayetteville — focused on the next 25 years and beyond. Futurist and trend forecaster Shawn DuBravac gave keynote addresses that explored disruptive technological shifts in business, healthcare, finance, and cul- ture. Leaders from across industries also sat down together to discuss howArkansas can keep pace with the rapidly transforming healthcare landscape. Following are three takeaways I would like to share. 1. Artificial intelligence isn’t about replacing people, but rather expanding what they can do. AI has the potential to improve effi- ciency in healthcare without eliminating jobs. For example, it can assume repetitive tasks such as administrative paperwork or clinical transcription so healthcare workers can focus on care. AI is best used to support human interactions in healthcare, not sup- plant them. Our panelists noted that several virtual healthcare companies that started during the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately failed because they overlooked the value of human interaction in the healthcare delivery experience. 2. The greatest potential for new technologies is in their integration with human teams. To illustrate this point, DuBravac brief- ly told the story of the 1997 defeat of then world chess champion Gary Kasparov by an IBM supercomputer called Deep Blue. Some thought this signaled the death of chess. Af- ter all, how could human players hope to compete with ever-advancing computers? But Kasparov later became involved in tour- naments that allowed humans, computers, and teams of both to compete, and in those tournaments, it was not the best chess play- ers or the best computers that won. It was teams of good players using multiple soft- ware programs — carefully choosing which programs to use and when to use them — that won. The lesson from chess also applies to healthcare. Having the best technology is not enough, and having the best people is not enough. We need to bring human work- ers and new technologies together, develop new processes that integrate the capabilities of both, and have the infrastructure in place to support that integration. 3. New technologies have the potential to broaden healthcare services. Accessing healthcare services is a chal- lenge in many of Arkansas’ rural and low- income communities, which contributes to health disparities. Emerging technologies such as AI, wearable health-monitoring devices, and telehealth offer opportunities to expand the services available to people in our underserved communities. We must be careful, however, to avoid unintended consequences. We need to ensure that pa- tient privacy is protected and that the large number of Arkansas households currently lacking high-speed internet access do not get left behind. We do not yet fully understand what roles emerging technologies will play in patient care and public health, nor what limits will need to be placed on those technologies. As new policies and regulations are developed, healthcare professionals need to be aware of the issues and involved in the process. If Arkansas is to reap the benefits of techno- logical advances, our industry and commu- nity leaders and policymakers must always be looking for new and innovative ways to improve the health of Arkansans and be pre- pared to collaborate across sectors to turn opportunities into reality. Thank you to everyone who participated in or attended our symposia. We hope to continue having these conversations. If you were not able to attend both events, I invite you to view videos of our keynote speaker and panelists at achi.net/symposia-2023. n