At HIMSS24 today, Google Cloud presented new developments aimed at assisting healthcare and life sciences organizations in achieving interoperability, establishing a strong data foundation, and implementing generative AI tools to enhance patient outcomes.
Improving Vertex AI Search Technology
The 30% increase in healthcare administrative costs in 2022, along with a rising physician burnout rate of 53% and a global shortage of more than 13 million nurses, highlights the challenges faced by the industry. Google Cloud believes that these challenges present an opportunity for healthcare providers, payers, electronic health records companies, and life science companies to develop gen AI-powered systems that can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare workers.
Enhancing Assistive Technology
Google Cloud launched Vertex AI Search for Healthcare to empower developers in constructing superior assistive technology for healthcare professionals and system workers to ease administrative burdens. This technology enables medically tailored genAI search across various data types, including FHIR data and clinical notes. Integration with MedLM, Healthcare Data Engine, and Cloud Healthcare FHIR APIs facilitates the creation of data analytics and AI systems necessary for advancing healthcare systems.
Data Platform for the ‘AI Era’
Google Cloud also introduced updates to its Healthcare Data Engine, transforming it into a “healthcare data platform for the AI era.” To facilitate the construction of an interoperable, high-quality data platform essential for genAI utilization, Google Cloud has introduced a new consumption-based managed service for Healthcare Data Engine. This service, featuring simplified management, streamlined pricing, and a low-code graphical data mapping IDE, enables healthcare organizations to deploy and manage a near-real-time healthcare data platform in the cloud.
According to Aashima Gupta, global director for healthcare strategy and solutions at Google Cloud, not all generative AI solutions are equal, especially in healthcare where the stakes are critical. He emphasized the importance of enterprise-grade genAI solutions that are grounded in actual data to meet the challenging demands of healthcare organizations.
Richard Clarke, chief data and analytics officer at Highmark Health, highlighted the health system’s continuous efforts to leverage data and technology for transforming the healthcare landscape. Integration of Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Search with Healthcare Data Engine opens doors for providing personalized and proactive care to their members.
In conclusion, Google Cloud’s advancements in genAI technology for healthcare promise to revolutionize the industry by empowering organizations to build a solid data foundation, enhance interoperability, and leverage AI tools effectively for improving patient outcomes.