Generative AI in healthcare: redefining clinical practice through digital transformation

Although generative AI (GenAI) has transformative potential for healthcare systems, this timely issue has not yet been sufficiently explored. This study investigates the application effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of GenAI in the healthcare sector, using a dataset comprising 1,440 samples from 160 hospitals across 31 provinces in China, covering the period from 2021 to 2024. The results show that GenAI significantly enhances healthcare effectiveness, including improving diagnostic accuracy, optimizing operational efficiency, and increasing patient satisfaction. The degree of industrial digitalization positively moderates these effects, with highly digitalized regions experiencing greater AI effectiveness. This study not only enriches the theoretical framework of technology diffusion but also provides valuable insights into the practical implementation and policy optimization of GenAI in healthcare.