Paulo Laurentys, COO, A3Data, says it is up to institutions to look closely at the numerous possibilities for adopting AI to transform health – with millions of potential users in Brazil who could benefit from the technology.
China is already operating largely digitized hospitals, in which AI and automation replace, or minimally complement, much of human tasks. In Beijing, for example, the concept of Agentic Hospital is already in operation and there are other cases that combine AI with sensors, robotics and hyperautomation that perform diagnostics, triage and even surgical support efficiently and safely.
The scenario is very adherent to China’s condition, since it is the second country in the world in terms of maturity in the use of AI, behind only the United States, which brings together Big Techs.
In Brazil, operations are still a few steps behind in the adoption of emerging technologies with the level of advancement mentioned above. In general, few institutions already use AI in an advanced way and with great reach, but the market already has numerous initiatives that can support the technological revolution in health.
Starting with the administrative, a common pain for health institutions is the gloss in the revenue cycle, that is, when the health plan does not pay the bill for the patient’s hospital expenses. In this aspect alone, in an analysis carried out in 2023 by the National Association of Private Hospitals (Anahp), companies in the sector failed to earn between 10% and 12% in this period due to this lack of control.
To solve this problem, it is possible to use AI agents and apply a governance process to collect, analyze and decide on sensitive information from hospital contracts using data that permeates these complex processes, thus reducing one of the most critical problems of hospital networks, in addition to seeking more financial predictability and efficiency in management. In other words, a dream that is totally possible.
When we think about reducing operating costs, it is possible to generate a decrease of up to 20%, according to the Brazilian Federation of Hospitals (FBH). In addition to increasing administrative efficiency, which also involves avoiding operational failures, improving the patient experience and optimizing the time of health professionals are also fronts that can obtain excellent results with the advancement of AI.
Among the processes that can be optimized through this technology are analysis of electronic medical records for diagnosis and treatment, screening and scheduling of appointments (including telemedicine), automated service via chatbots, monitoring of administrative anomalies, and surgical assistance with real-time data provision to doctors.
In terms of automation, which brings a discussion about the excessive use of technology in a human care environment, the key is to dose the strengths of the use of AI versus human strengths. It is important to consider that automation in health is far from representing a risk of ‘dehumanization’ in care. On the contrary, it is a powerful resource to strengthen the relationship between doctor and patient.
Nobody wants to stand in a queue waiting inside a hospital, and the doctor wants and needs to serve more patients with more quality. Approaches with a digital virtual queue or even the medical assistant are examples of digitalization initiatives that already show extraordinary results after the adoption of AI.
Going further, in diagnostic medicine, the use of this technology can help the doctor make better decisions when identifying a disease in an image, increasing human capacity and, in the end, the patient will win. The secret, therefore, is to balance the use of machines with the empathy and human look that only health professionals can offer.
If we have not yet reached the Chinese advance, it is up to institutions to look closely at the numerous possibilities for adopting AI to transform health, as we have millions of potential users in Brazil who could benefit from this technology. There are many projects with successful results that can be replicated to advance this agenda.
It is up to the hospital sector and business leaders to embrace this revolution to build a more promising and accessible future, which will not only bring gains in operational efficiency and revenues to hospitals, but, above all, will allow more lives to be saved.
