The HHS Department of Health and Human Services has released its HHS Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan, which the company claims will” set in motion a planned public-private view to improving the quality, safety, effectiveness, accessibility, equitability, and outcomes in health and individual services” The whole plan, which spans almost 200 pages, aims to promote possible benefits such as: accelerating technological advancements that could improve the quality and duration of lifeBeing used as part of a health product or to develop health products to improve safety and effectivenessImproving clinical outcomes and enhancing safety through improved health and human services benefits deliveryInstead of predicting and mobilizing resources quickly to improve AI adoption in medical research and discovery, and promoting more AI-ready data standards. That includes funding for research programs that develop or leverage AI in medical research and discovery – such as NIH’s Bridge2AI and ARPA-H’s Transforming Antibiotic R&, D with GenAI to stop Emerging Threats, or TARGET, program. Going forward, the agency says it plans to issue interoperability guidelines to “engage the public and continue prioritizing safe, responsible, and responsive AI in its funding of both intramural and extramural research programs “.Meanwhile, HHS acknowledges that” AI use in medical research and discovery could present biosecurity, privacy, bias, and other risks”. The agency will soon develop sandboxes for industry collaboration, share national guidelines on health AI, and look into using AI for dynamic AI risk assessments. The goal is to improve the protection of AI models and patient data from adversarial attacks while enabling data-sharing protocols that safeguard sensitive patient data and mechanisms to reduce harm from the misuse of predictive analytics. Toward the goal of democratizing AI technologies and resources, HHS says it’s working with different communities – it cites NIH’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Research Diversity, or AIM-AHEAD, as one – and standardizing research data ( as with NIH’s Common Data Element Repository ) to promote public- private partnerships and multi-institutional research collaborations. It’s also focused on equitable AI access, particularly for traditionally underserved populations, such as rural communities and people with disabilities. Meanwhile, HHS hopes to ensure “long-term successful and safe adoption of AI in medical research and discovery, AI talent pipelines and organizational working models”, supporting that goal with internal talent development, including NIH’s Data and Technology Advancement]DATA] National Service Scholar Program. To help organizations foster robust AI-enabled cultures, HHS will continue to support apprenticeship programs centered on AI in medical research and discovery activities. For instance, Premier Inc. notes that it “directly aligns” with many of Premier’s AI policy recommendations for safe use of AI to boost healthcare workforce, advance health equity and promote value-based care. In a statement, Soumi Saha, the group’s senior VP of government affairs, said that Prime has long advocated for a responsible artificial intelligence regulatory framework for healthcare that promotes transparency and advances patient safety while supporting innovation. Premier has firsthand experience with the benefits of AI-driven insights in reducing disruptions and shortages, so Premier is especially encouraged by the plan’s recognition of AI’s potential to revolutionize healthcare supply chain resilience. ” Mike Miliard is the executive editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email the writer: mike. miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.