As healthcare providers face growing demands, from managing patient care to increasingly complex administrative workflows, the industry seeks transformative solutions to drive efficiency and improve outcomes. AI is one of the most powerful technologies to rise to the challenge, with the potential to revolutionize everything from patient interactions to administrative processes. Generative AI, in particular, promises to change the face of patient care.
However, successfully adopting AI in healthcare requires more than just advanced technology—it demands expert integration that ensures the technology fits seamlessly into existing systems and meets regulatory requirements, both on-prem and in the cloud, all while enhancing the patient experience.
This is where global system integrators like NTT Data, Deloitte, and Cognizant come into play. These industry giants have deep expertise in AI, cloud and healthcare, making them the natural choice for healthcare providers looking to modernize or deploy AI-based solutions. And they’re already helping to change the face of healthcare.
Domain Expertise in Healthcare and AI
GSIs have a unique combination of domain knowledge and technological expertise, enabling them to design AI solutions tailored to healthcare providers’ needs.
NTT Data, for example, has healthcare-specific AI solutions ready to be adapted to new solutions. It recently partnered with Amelia, a leading enterprise Conversational AI platform, to enhance patient engagement and streamline healthcare operations. Amelia provides patients with 24/7 personalized interactions, automating tasks such as appointment scheduling, reminders, and real-time responses to inquiries.
NTT Data also has its comprehensive digital framework for healthcare, Nucleus for Healthcare, which can be leveraged to create new customer solutions. The framework integrates data, automation, and AI as a centralized platform, consolidating disparate data sources to enable seamless access and analysis for healthcare providers.
Deloitte also has a Frontline AI Teammate platform that leverages Nvidia’s AI Enterprise platform to create lifelike digital avatars to enhance patient interaction. These alleviate the administrative burden by answering patients’ preadmission questions to provide support throughout their healthcare journey and allow medical staff to focus on critical care tasks.
Cognizant, another prominent GSI, recently partnered with Google Cloud to deliver healthcare solutions that use large language models to streamline administrative processes such as contract management, appeals resolution, and call center operations.
This expertise in blending healthcare-specific AI solutions with real-world operational needs allows healthcare providers to trust that the solutions will be effective, scalable, and compliant with industry regulations.
Customization and Integration with Existing Systems
One key challenge in deploying AI solutions in healthcare is ensuring the new technologies integrate seamlessly with existing IT systems, workflows, and data architectures. GSIs like NTT Data specialize in precisely this kind of complex integration.
NTT Data’s partnerships with forward-thinking healthcare providers, such as Duke Health, focus on building AI-based home care delivery systems that integrate automation, device interoperability, and remote patient monitoring, creating a robust infrastructure for delivering in-home healthcare services.
By developing custom AI tools that work with a healthcare provider’s existing platforms, GSIs can ensure smoother transitions, less downtime, and quicker deployment—allowing providers to realize the benefits of AI more rapidly. This ability to tailor solutions to the unique needs of each healthcare organization is a critical advantage that GSIs bring to the table.
Compliance and Security Expertise
Healthcare is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world, with strict requirements for data privacy, security, and compliance with regulations like the HIPAA in the U.S. GSIs are well-versed in these regulatory frameworks and know how to implement AI solutions that protect patient data and comply with legal standards.
For instance, Cognizant’s AI solutions for healthcare leverage Google Cloud’s secure infrastructure to protect sensitive data while complying with stringent privacy standards.
The GSIs also focus on responsible AI principles to ensure AI is deployed ethically and transparently. This attention to regulatory compliance helps healthcare organizations avoid legal pitfalls while still benefiting from cutting-edge AI innovations.
NTT Data’s lead for data-driven health, Dr. John Frownfelter, agrees. He told me that bringing AI into the healthcare realm is fraught with challenges, many related to regulatory compliance. AI opens the door to a world that HIPAA and other regulations didn’t envision. Healthcare regulation in the age of AI is a work in progress.
The FDA, for example, provides regulatory oversight for AI in the diagnostic process but not for use in patient records or patient engagement. Yet those data sources need to blend seamlessly to provide a consistent experience for the patient. It simply makes sense for healthcare providers to work with solution providers with the resources and expertise to navigate such a rapidly evolving regulatory and compliance environment.
Scalability and Global Reach
Another advantage GSIs bring is their ability to scale AI solutions globally. Healthcare systems vary widely between regions, and global system integrators have the experience and resources to adapt solutions to fit different regulatory environments, healthcare models, and cultural expectations.
For example, Deloitte’s Frontline AI Teammate can have natural, human-like conversations in multiple languages, addressing patient concerns and administrative needs in healthcare systems worldwide. This level of customization and scalability is critical for large healthcare organizations that operate across multiple regions or serve diverse populations.
Additionally, GSIs can support healthcare organizations at every stage of their AI journey, from strategy and planning to full-scale deployment and long-term maintenance. This comprehensive approach ensures that AI solutions continue to deliver value as the healthcare provider’s needs evolve.
Reducing Administrative Burden and Improving Patient Outcomes
The deployment of AI in healthcare is not just about technology—it’s about solving real-world problems, such as reducing the administrative burden on healthcare workers, improving patient satisfaction, and enhancing clinical outcomes.
AI-powered digital agents, like those developed by Deloitte and NTT Data, can automate time-consuming tasks like scheduling appointments, answering patient queries, and managing administrative workflows, freeing healthcare providers to focus on more critical aspects of patient care.
In the case of NTT Data’s collaboration with Duke Health, the focus is on creating a more holistic, AI-driven model of care that allows patients to receive more of their care at home. This reduces strain on hospital resources and offers patients greater convenience and comfort, improving health outcomes and patient satisfaction.
I recently asked Emily Norboge, the chief research informatics officer for the Duke Cancer Institute, why Duke partnered with NTT Data for its solution. She said it was simple: using a GSI like NTT Data “removes the roadblocks” to deploying complex systems, allowing the healthcare provider to focus on the business of taking care of patients.
At the 2024 HLTH Conference in Las Vegas, NTT Data introduced Wound AI in collaboration with Vantiq and Telemedicine Solutions. This cutting-edge clinical decision support platform uses NTT DATA’s Smart Management Platform to provide comprehensive analytics tools that enhance the speed and accuracy of wound assessments.
NTT Data’s Dr. Frownfelter told me that the ultimate ROI for AI-driven healthcare systems “is the patient experience.” It’s easy for anyone who’s had to navigate the US healthcare system to be cynical about that sentiment, but these aren’t empty words for NTT Data and its customers.
Beyond the patient’s well-being, providers have very real financial incentives to improve the experience. Healthcare providers often don’t get paid by insurance companies if a patient is re-admitted after a visit, for example, making post-visit care elemental to the process. AI agents and other generative AI tools will allow better engagement with patients throughout a visit and into aftercare.
Dr. Frownfelter pointed me to a recent study that said that, in healthcare environments, AI-powered virtual agents can exhibit empathy comparable to or even exceeding that of human agents.
Meanwhile, Cognizant’s solutions streamline complex administrative workflows like contract lifecycle management and appeals resolution, driving greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in healthcare organizations’ backend operations.
Analyst’s Take
As healthcare providers increasingly turn to AI to solve critical challenges, GSIs like Deloitte, Cognizant, and NTT Data are the natural partners in this transformation. Their expertise in healthcare-specific AI applications and their ability to integrate, scale, and secure these solutions make them invaluable allies in modernizing healthcare.
AI in healthcare is not a one-time deployment; it’s an ongoing journey that requires continuous innovation and support. GSIs, with their broad technological partnerships and deep R&D investments, are perfectly positioned to provide long-term support to healthcare providers.
The ability to stay at the cutting edge of AI technology ensures that healthcare organizations can continue to innovate and evolve their AI capabilities over time. But it’s ultimately about more than just the technology.
GSIs also offer managed services, ongoing maintenance, and future upgrades to ensure that the AI solutions remain secure, compliant, and optimized for performance as new challenges and opportunities arise in the healthcare sector.
By partnering with a GSI, healthcare providers can confidently navigate the complexities of AI adoption and the related technological and regulatory challenges while improving operational efficiency and patient outcomes in the process. With GSIs leading the charge, the future of AI in healthcare is bright, and the benefits for both healthcare providers and patients are already being realized.
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