Establishing a Hospital Artificial Intelligence Committee to Improve Patient Care

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
• Clinical Decision Support

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is rapidly expanding across healthcare disciplines.
• AI demonstrates significant utility in specialized fields such as pathology, radiology, and oncology.
• Clinical implementation of AI tools is hindered by various practical and ethical barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a formal governing body for the systematic review and assessment of AI applications in a clinical setting.
• To address the multifaceted barriers encountered during the implementation of AI in healthcare.
• To ensure AI integration aligns with ethical principles and promotes patient well-being and safety.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a dedicated hospital AI Committee at James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.
• Development of a comprehensive framework for evaluating AI products based on ethical and practical criteria.
• Assessment of AI tools for adherence to principles of human autonomy, well-being, safety, transparency, accountability, equity, and sustainability.

Main Results:

• The AI Committee provides a structured approach to overcome obstacles in clinical AI implementation.
• AI product evaluations focus on critical factors like explainability, accountability, and equity.
• The committee's framework facilitates responsible and sustainable integration of AI technologies.

Conclusions:

• A hospital AI Committee can effectively mitigate challenges associated with clinical AI deployment.
• Establishing formal governance structures is crucial for the successful and ethical integration of AI in healthcare.
• This approach promotes AI systems that are safe, equitable, and aligned with the public interest.