10/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/17/2024 04:28
Did you know doctors and nurses spend more than a third of their work week on paperwork? This includes maintaining detailed patient records, completing insurance forms and referrals, documenting procedures performed, organizing documentation for claims and inputting claim information into the system. A study published today by Google Cloud and The Harris Poll sheds light on the extent of this burden - and it also highlights how generative AI (gen AI) can help.
Clinicians, including doctors and nurses in the United States, report that nearly 28 hours of each week are lost to administrative tasks, leaving less time for what truly matters: patient care. It's no wonder that 82% of clinicians report feeling burned out. This isn't just a doctor problem: Insurance staff face an even bigger mountain of paperwork, spending 36 hours a week on administrative duties, such as maintaining member records and compiling documentation for claims.
Burnout, errors and less time with patients
This administrative overload is contributing to many of healthcare's biggest challenges:
Generative AI solutions
However, there is a promising solution to help with many of these tasks: gen AI. The study found that healthcare professionals are open to using generative AI, with 91% of providers and 97% of payors saying they feel positively about AI's potential to ease administrative burdens. The general public feels the same, with 72% of respondents saying using AI is a worthwhile way to allow their healthcare providers more time to talk to them. Here are a few ways gen AI can help:
While AI can't replace human compassion and expertise in healthcare, it can support healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus more on people, not paperwork. By easing administrative burdens, AI can pave the way to a more efficient, accurate, and human-centered system where the needs of patients are always at the forefront.