Google cloud launches AI solutions to combat administrative burnout in health care

Author(s):

Todd Shryock

Key Takeaways

Google Cloud's new tools aim to reduce administrative burdens, enhancing system efficiency and patient care by freeing up time for healthcare professionals.
Healthcare professionals face significant administrative overload, with clinicians spending nearly 28 hours weekly on non-clinical tasks, impacting patient care.
Vertex AI Search for Healthcare uses advanced language models to provide accurate, contextual search results, easing the administrative load.
The Healthcare Data Engine offers an interoperable platform for standardized patient data, enabling AI-driven insights and improved patient outcomes.

A tool for searching medical records and one that standardizes patient medical information aim to reduce administrative burnout

Google Cloud releases AI tools: ©Sundry Photography

Google Cloud announced the general availability of two tools aimed at reducing administrative burdens in health care: Vertex AI Search for Healthcare and enhanced features for the Healthcare Data Engine (HDE). These products are designed to accelerate digital transformation, improve system efficiency, and free up more time for patient care, according to the company. Both tools are for health care professionals and not the general public.

Addressing administrative overload

A report from Google Cloud and The Harris Poll reveals that health care professionals are overwhelmed by administrative tasks. Clinicians spend nearly 28 hours a week on documentation, scheduling, billing, and other non-clinical duties, according to the report. Medical office staff and claims personnel dedicate even more time—34 and 36 hours, respectively—leaving many feeling burnt out. This administrative strain impacts patient care, with 80% of providers acknowledging that it detracts from their time with patients.

"The administrative burden on health care workers is immense, taking precious time away from what matters most: patient care," said Lisa O'Malley, Senior Director of Cloud AI Applications at Google Cloud, in a statement. The new AI-powered tools, Vertex AI Search for Healthcare and Healthcare Data Engine, aim to alleviate these challenges by streamlining operations and offering data solutions.

Vertex AI Search for Healthcare

Vertex AI Search for Healthcare uses advanced language models like Gemini 1.5 Flash and MedLM to help health care professionals quickly find relevant information from health records and medical documents. It understands the complexities of medical language, abbreviations, and data structures, providing accurate and contextual search results.

By reducing time spent searching for information, this tool promises to ease the administrative load, according to the company.

Health care data engine

The Healthcare Data Engine provides an interoperable platform to create a comprehensive longitudinal record of patient data in FHIR format. This ensures that organizations can use clean, standardized data to fuel AI-driven insights, improving patient outcomes. Updates to HDE include a simplified pay-as-you-go pricing model, a managed service option, and a new data mapper tool for easier data visualization and mapping.