What physicians should consider before buying an AI product
Clinical relevance, transparency, compliance among chief considerations, says UCI Health chief medical information officer
IN THE NEWS: As technology continues to drive innovative and improve administrative, diagnostic and treatment efficiencies, it’s important that physicians conduct due diligence and fully understand an artificial intelligence (AI) product before implementation.
While there is growing excitement for these tools in the physician community, Dr. Deepti Pandita, FACP, FAMIA, chief medical information officer and the vice president of clinical informatics at UCI Health, spoke with Healio about what to consider before implementing an AI tool.
“Because AI tools directly impact patient care, safety and clinical decision-making, it’s important that physicians ask questions to ensure that the AI solution is clinically relevant, evidence-based, transparent, compliant and usable.”
Pandita discussed how all AI products should be extensively vetted before they are implemented in clinical practice.
“It is important to audit or inspect input features that drive predictions. It’s very helpful to have a data scientist on your team work on this.”
Lastly, she addressed the importance of confirming that AI tools are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, comply with patient privacy laws and indicate how data is used and stored. They should also be cleared by organizational or system-level cybersecurity technologies to protect patient privacy.
“By asking the right questions, physicians can maintain their role as stewards of patients.”
Pandita is a national leader in the field of clinical and medical informatics and currently drives AI governance, digital transformation and clinician efficiency initiatives. In 2024, she co-authored a position paper by the American College of Physicians, clarifying the organization’s position on AI technologies and providing recommendations for their use when giving care. Earlier this year, she was named one of Becker's CMIOs to Know.
Her digital solutions have improved the health of communities, eased the cognitive burden of clinicians and promoted the wellness of the clinical workforce. Pandita’s work has also reduced the average patient stay in the hospital, saved costs and improved operational efficiencies.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves nearly 5.7 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).