�Forward-thinking provider organizations will � augment their EHRs through fully integrated, consumer-friendly tools that help reduce call volume and alleviate repetitive, manual workflows.�

�There is a renewed and intensified focus on economics, efficiencies and automation, and a cautious approach to limited application of AI to leverage less skilled and tedious tasks such as medical scribing.�

�Healthcare organizations � should lean into the proven measurable results from applications such as machine learning and natural language processing.�

These are some of the predictions from four healthcare information technology experts Healthcare IT News rounded up to offer readers thoughts on the year ahead.

Patty Riskind, CEO, Orbita

�The industry must show demonstrable progress in making healthcare as self-service as possible for patients,� said Patty Riskind, CEO of Orbita, a vendor of smart virtual assistants and workflow automation for healthcare. �This will not only benefit patients but also help alleviate the administrative burden on clinicians and staff.

�While EHR vendors have long said they will incorporate digital tools within their systems, their development priorities, by necessity, must focus on compliance and regulatory updates.

�Forward-thinking provider organizations will more aggressively seek partners to augment their EHRs through fully integrated, consumer-friendly tools that help reduce call volume and alleviate repetitive, manual workflows, resulting in more efficient operations and enhanced staff and patient engagement.�

Dr. David J. Sand, chief medical officer, ZeOmega

�Healthcare organizations across the care delivery spectrum are reckoning with the continued fallout from COVID, including staff burnout and staffing shortages, striking healthcare workers, and shifts in their revenue base,� said Dr. David J. Sand, chief medical officer at ZeOmega, an enterprise healthcare management organization.

�There is a renewed and intensified focus on economics, efficiencies and automation, and a cautious approach to limited application of AI to leverage less skilled and tedious tasks such as medical scribing.

�Last year, I predicted we would see an increase in M&A activity involving highly leveraged healthcare tech companies, many of which, while having impressive intellectual capital, had yet to create margins or revenue streams to substantiate their valuations.

�We are now seeing these companies, from insurtechs to AI-driven vendors, simply shuttering their operations, leaving others in the field to �hold the bag.'�

Dr. Emad Rizk, chairman, president and CEO,�Cotiviti

�Healthcare is under significant pressure and change following the COVID-19 public health emergency, specifically a workforce shortage and increasing costs from wage increases and inflation,� said Dr. Emad Rizk, chairman, president and CEO of�Cotiviti, a vendor of advanced technology and data analytics for healthcare organizations. �The industry is responding to these pressures by looking at ways technology can improve productivity and the quality of care delivery.

�As healthcare organizations look at these new technologies, they should take a measured approach while leaning into the proven measurable results from other applications such as machine learning and natural language processing.

�These technologies must be guided by human medical and investigative expertise, and nationally accepted guidelines by medical societies and academies. Technology can never work in a vacuum without human judgement and clinical expertise.

�In 2024, as the industry continues to explore and adopt various forms of new technologies presented to them, health plans must weigh the opportunities and risks as they develop a rigorous approach to their application, focusing on how they can help to maximize effectiveness � and always deploying them alongside human expertise, with appropriate safeguards to ensure compliance while improving value.�

Rajesh Subramaniam, managing director and CEO, ResultsCX

�The healthcare landscape is undergoing a significant transformation driven by the growing emphasis on patient engagement and empowerment,� said Rajesh Subramaniam, managing director and CEO of ResultsCX, a vendor of customer experience management systems. �Research cited in Forbes indicates 80% of consumers are inclined to connect with and remain loyal to brands that offer personalized experiences.�

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