Yesterday’s Data Feed focused on the topline results from OptumIQ’s Annual Survey of AI in Healthcare. Today’s Data Feed digs deeper into the survey findings.

Optum found that overall, confidence in AI is high among health industry leaders, with nearly all survey respondents signaling a trust for AI technologies that support administrative functions or clinical decisions. But when broken down by application, trust in AI for administrative tasks leads the way. The top five areas in which respondents see the most AI potential are:

• Automating prior authorizations for providing care or services
• Providing individuals with relevant health actions using personalized communication
• Managing electronic health records (EHRs)
• Detecting fraud, waste and abuse in reimbursement
• Selecting the appropriate care setting

Across the board, most health industry leaders see AI as a trustworthy partner for administrative tasks, with a growing interest in clinical functions, according to Optum. Leaders believe that human expertise should be a balancing factor in making informed clinical decisions.

The slight gap in trust between using AI for administrative tasks compared to clinical functions has many possible explanations, Optum said. Administrative functions have long been considered an ideal area to improve with the use of AI and is already in place at many organizations, making it a tried and true solution.

Trust in AI will drive investment. And more investment will allow for the clinical validation needed to reassure all health care stakeholders of the promise AI has to offer for clinical decision support: reducing care variation, minimizing trial-and-error approaches and freeing up clinicians’ time so they can focus on their patients.

Click here to download the survey results.