Education at HIMSS19: Will This Be the Year of Artificial Intelligence?

Just a cursory glance at this year’s educational schedule at the HIMSS Conference, which is being held this week at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, makes it clear: artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will be major subjects for discussion at HIMSS19.

Just a few examples: Session MLAI03, “Keynote: Synergies Between Man and Machine”; Session MLAI04, “State of the Industry: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare”; Session PTS07, “Smarter Care: The AI-Driven Patient Experience”; Session MLAI06, “AI and Imaging: Your Data as a Strategic Asset”; Session MLAI11, “How AI Enabled a Community Hospital to Tackle Clinical Variation and Reduce Length-of-Stay”; Session MLAI07, “Blockchain & AI: Stronger Together”; Session MLAI19, “Integrating an End-to-End AI Solution into Clinical Workflow”; Session MLAI15, “Using AI and NLP to Alleviate Physician Burnout”; Session RCSS16, “AI, Workforce Development, and Other Key Takeaways”; Session PH01, “Artificial Intelligence & Telemedicine”; Session ISED01, “Artificial Intelligence—A Solution for Interoperability?”; Session IL42, “AI + Neurotechnology Attacking Chronic Pain Crisis”; Session 22, “Ethics of AI in Healthcare: Developing the Right Framework for Innovative Clinical Delivery”; Session IL07, “The Role of AI in the (Near) Future of Healthcare”; Session IL09, “Streamline Analytics with AI & Machine Learning”; Session 54, “Artificial Intelligence vs. COPD: The Fight for Patient Health”; Session LS12, “Using AI to Manage Clinical Variation”; Session PH13, “Patient Journey Digitalization Using IT and AI”; and Session IH54, “Predictive Clinical Surveillance with AI.”

And yes, there are many more.

The point is that, clearly, those who consider and approve educational session proposals for the HIMSS Conference have determined that AI and machine learning are a topic of major importance—and they are. Speaking regularly with industry leaders, I find this moment around AI/machine learning to be quite fascinating: even as the actual, practical execution of the use of AI/machine learning is just taking off right now in patient care organizations in the U.S., interest in the topic is absolutely exploding now. And that’s for good reason: the potential here is huge, and AI/machine learning will absolutely be needed in order to limn the potential for analysis-facilitated continuous performance improvement in patient care organizations.

But we honestly are early on that journey, as a healthcare system. So it will be fascinating to see what the presenters say about all of this at HIMSS19. Being early on a journey is challenging, but can also be stimulating—and at times, humbling.

And the next few years will be exceptionally stimulating in the AI/machine learning arena. We all just need to move forward wisely, understanding that fully embedding robust AI and machine learning tools into core care delivery and clinical performance improvement processes, will take time and will involve a lot of thoughtful, hard-won steps. But learning about AI and machine learning in an environment like that at the HIMSS Conference certainly could be a good first step.

So here’s hoping that the learning and discussion around AI and machine learning in Orlando will be meaningful to everyone. Because it’s absolutely time.