Massachusetts Hospitals Explore AI as Technology Adoption Surges

More health care professionals are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to help diagnose patients and provide quality care. At South Shore Hospital, Dr. Sam Ash is one of the individuals using OpenEvidence to help him treat his patients.

AI tools like OpenEvidence have gained traction among approximately 40% of U.S. doctors. These tools are valued for linking primary sources and helping clinicians consider factors in diagnosis beyond a single drug.

OpenEvidence, co-founded by an AI entrepreneur and a Harvard Ph.D. student, is free to use. Advertising supports the platform's funding, which, according to a WBUR report, has experienced substantial growth over the past year. The company has partnered with organizations such as the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Ash is quick to point out that he's not relying solely on OpenEvidence in his decision-making.

“I'm looking at OpenEvidence to start, but then I'm confirming my decision and my information with either the primary source literature or something that's been around and trusted and validated,” he told WBUR.

Despite the interest in AI, experts are cautioning against relying too heavily on the technology. Industry leaders warn that governance and regulation of AI in health care are still evolving. Some hospitals, such as Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Lahey Health, and UMass Memorial Health, are creating internal boards and training, while others are calling for broader guidance in the application of the tools.

Doctors like Ash also stress that while AI is a helpful aid, it does not replace clinical judgment. Physicians must remain responsible for their decisions and should consult multiple sources for confirmation.

“It is happening really fast, and the governance piece is very up in the air right now,” said Dr. Tejal Gandhi, chief safety and transformation officer with the health care management company Press Ganey, in a statement shared with WBUR.

Additional Massachusetts hospitals are paying attention to the applications of AI. For example, UMass Memorial Health is planning a $100 million AI expansion to build an in-house data platform and scale usage from about 60 to 300 tools within 18 months, reinforcing AI as an augmentative tool for clinicians.

UMass Memorial Health President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson said that his hospital's investment in AI signals that the health care industry cannot ignore what lies ahead for AI.

“It's coming,” he said. “We can't shut it off, and so our job as humans is to figure out how to leverage it for the benefit of our patients — in my particular situation — or society as a whole.”