The Power of AI: Fueling Organizations and Elevating People Part II

“The goal isn’t just to make you twice as efficient; it’s to increase efficiency tenfold."

AI is proving to be the most rapidly adopted technology in human history. When ChatGPT gained one million users in just four days, it took the tech world by storm. In under four months, that number skyrocketed to 100 million users. To put it in perspective, it took Twitter seven years to reach the same milestone, and Instagram needed three years to achieve the same feat. 

AI’s accelerated adoption is reshaping not only consumer technology but also the world of healthcare, permeating nearly every digital interaction. Now, it’s propelling the behavioral health, human services, and post-acute care sectors forward at an unprecedented pace.

The time for these organizations to adopt AI is now. As the saying goes, the best time to adopt was two years ago; the second-best time is right now.

Augmented Intelligence: A Coach, not a Crutch

At its core, AI captures input, analyzes vast amounts of data and generates outputs with varying levels of certainty. Essentially, it handles complex calculations and processes large datasets to predict outcomes and identify patterns. Large language models (LLMs), for example, can produce insights from enormous amounts of text data, but they are, at the end of the day, just algorithms performing calculations at a speed and scale that humans cannot match.

What AI lacks is human intuition, practical experience and creativity. The clinical expertise of your staff is irreplaceable, and this is precisely why the best use of AI in a healthcare setting is as an assistant collaborating with human professionals. AI can manage administrative tasks, freeing up clinicians to focus on what they do best: patient care.

Think of AI as you might think of the bicycle or bow and arrow—tools that enhance human capabilities rather than replacing them.

"Combining what computers excel at—computation, memory, consistency, decision-making—with human strengths like intuition, creativity, and design, is incredibly powerful." 

— Chris Yakscoe, Senior Dir. & GM of Bells AI at Netsmart

Combatting Staff Shortages

The healthcare industry has long faced staff shortages, with demand for clinical care outpacing the availability of trained professionals. This challenge is not going away anytime soon. Yet paradoxically, introducing new technology can be a tough sell, even when it promises to alleviate workloads and improve care quality. Change management is often the hardest part of technology adoption.

AI presents a unique opportunity to win over clinical staff by addressing their most significant pain points: excessive administrative work and a lack of time. With AI-powered tools, healthcare professionals can focus more on patient interaction and less on paperwork, allowing them to decompress between sessions or even get home on time.

"Imagine telling your staff, 'Great news! The cavalry has arrived!' These AI tools will relieve you of tedious tasks so that you can dedicate your energy to helping people,” Yakscoe says. “The goal isn’t just to make you twice as efficient; it’s to increase efficiency tenfold."

This isn’t about imposing technology on your staff; it’s about bringing in reinforcements to support them. Tasks that once took 45 minutes might only take five with the right automation. By streamlining processes, AI can help alleviate burnout and make the job more rewarding for healthcare providers.

Rolling Out AI Can Be Easier Than You Might Expect

Cultivate Grassroots Support

To ensure a smooth rollout of AI, look to your team’s early adopters—the employees who eagerly embrace innovative technology. These individuals are your change agents, capable of championing the benefits of AI and inspiring others to get on board. Identify those staff members who are not only enthusiastic but also trusted by their peers; they will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between early adopters and those who are more resistant to change.

"You need grassroots people,” Yakscoe explains. “Those on your team who will help spread the good word." These advocates can help close the chasm between the tech-savvy and the tech-skeptical, accelerating acceptance and adoption across the organization.

AI Adapts to Your Existing Workflows

AI solutions like Bells are designed to integrate seamlessly into current workflows, not disrupt them. Bells, for example, was developed in close collaboration with clinical users to ensure its design aligns with their everyday tasks. The platform uses clinically informed workflows, making it intuitive for new users to start benefiting from automation almost immediately.

This user-centered design leads to faster onboarding. While traditional EHR systems might take new hires three weeks to master, Bells users often report getting up to speed in as little as three days. That translates to less time spent on training, quicker billing and a more satisfying work environment—resulting in higher efficiency for the organization.

A Brighter Future for Clinical Staff

The adoption of AI isn't just about streamlining tasks; it’s about empowering healthcare professionals by reducing stress around one of their biggest pain points—clinical documentation. Progress notes, for example, can be time-consuming and laborious, yet they are essential to patient care. AI can assist by automating the most repetitive aspects of documentation, allowing clinicians to focus on nuanced, complex cases that require their expertise.

By alleviating administrative burdens, AI frees clinicians to do what they’re passionate about: helping people. Moreover, AI-driven efficiency improvements help organizations optimize their resources, making it possible to serve more patients with the same staff levels.

Up Next…

In the final installment of this three-part blog series, we will discuss how to initiate conversations about AI within your organization and identify specific opportunities where AI can enhance clinical operations. We’ll also explore the potential of predictive analytics, which will soon enable healthcare providers to anticipate patient needs and tailor care plans accordingly. The future holds immense possibilities, and AI is key to unlocking them.

Now is the time to embrace AI, not just as a tool but as a partner in delivering quality healthcare. The technology is here; it’s refined, and it’s ready to transform your organization. The question is: are you?