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Healthcare Industry
As healthcare providers face increasing demands, from managing patient care to increasingly complex administrative workflows, the industry is seeking transformative solutions to increase efficiency and improve outcomes. AI is one of the most powerful technologies to meet the challenge, with the potential to revolutionize everything from patient interactions to administrative processes. Generative AI in particular promises to change the face of patient care.
However, successful adoption of AI in healthcare requires more than just advanced technology. It requires expert integration that ensures the technology fits seamlessly into existing systems and meets regulatory requirements, both on-premises and in the cloud, while improving the patient experience.
This is where global systems integrators like NTT Data, Deloitte and Cognizant come into play. These industry giants have deep expertise in AI, cloud and healthcare, making them the natural choice for healthcare providers looking to modernize or deploy AI-based solutions. And they’re already helping to change the face of healthcare.
Domain expertise in healthcare and AI
GSIs have a unique combination of domain knowledge and technology expertise, allowing them to design AI solutions tailored to the needs of healthcare providers.
For example, NTT Data has healthcare-specific AI solutions ready to be adapted to new solutions. It’s recently together with Ameliaa leading Conversational AI platform for enterprises, to increase patient engagement and streamline healthcare operations. Amelia provides patients with 24/7 personalized interactions, automating tasks such as appointment scheduling, reminders and real-time responses to questions.
NTT Data also has a comprehensive digital framework for healthcare, Core for healthcarethat can be used to create new customer solutions. The framework integrates data, automation and AI as a centralized platform, consolidating disparate data sources to enable seamless access and analysis for healthcare providers.
Deloitte also has one Frontline AI teammate platform that uses Nvidia’s AI Enterprise platform to create lifelike digital avatars to improve patient interactions. These reduce administrative burden by answering patients’ questions prior to admission, providing support throughout their care journey and allowing medical staff to focus on critical care tasks.
Cognizant, another prominent GSI, recently entered into a partnership with Google Cloud to deliver healthcare solutions that use large language models to streamline administrative processes such as contract management, appeals handling and call center operations.
This expertise in combining healthcare-specific AI solutions with real-world operational needs allows healthcare providers to be confident that the solutions will be effective, scalable and compliant with industry regulations.
Customization and integration with existing systems
A key challenge in deploying AI solutions in healthcare is ensuring that the new technologies integrate seamlessly with existing IT systems, workflows and data architectures. GSIs like NTT Data specialize in exactly this type of complex integration.
NTT Data’s partnerships with forward-thinking healthcare providers, such as Duke Health, focus on building AI-based home healthcare systems that integrate automation, device interoperability and remote patient monitoring, creating a robust infrastructure for delivering healthcare services in the home.
By developing custom AI tools that work with a healthcare provider’s existing platforms, GSIs can deliver smoother transitions, less downtime, and faster deployment, helping healthcare providers realize the benefits of AI more quickly. This ability to tailor solutions to the unique needs of each healthcare organization is a critical advantage that GSIs bring.
Compliance and security expertise
Healthcare is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world, with stringent requirements for data privacy, security and compliance with regulations such as HIPAA in the US. GSIs are well-versed in these regulatory frameworks and know how to implement AI solutions that protect patient data and meet regulatory standards.
For example, Cognizant’s AI solutions for healthcare use Google Cloud’s secure infrastructure to protect sensitive data while adhering to strict privacy standards.
The GSIs also focus on responsible AI principles to ensure that AI is used ethically and transparently. This focus on regulatory compliance helps healthcare organizations avoid legal pitfalls while still benefiting from the latest AI innovations.
NTT Data’s leader in data-driven health, Dr. John Frownfelter, agrees. He told me that bringing AI into healthcare comes with challenges, many of which are related to regulatory compliance. AI opens the door to a world that HIPAA and other regulations did not envision. Healthcare regulation in the age of AI is a work in progress.
For example, the FDA provides regulatory oversight for AI in the diagnostic process, but not for use in patient records or patient engagement. Yet these data sources must work seamlessly together to provide a consistent patient experience. It simply makes sense for healthcare providers to partner with solution providers that have the resources and expertise to navigate such a rapidly evolving regulatory and compliance environment.
Scalability and global reach
Another advantage of GSIs is their ability to scale AI solutions globally. Healthcare systems vary widely by region, and global systems integrators have the experience and resources to adapt solutions to different regulatory environments, healthcare models and cultural expectations.
For example, Deloitte’s Frontline AI Teammate can conduct natural, human-like conversations in multiple languages, addressing patient concerns and administrative needs in healthcare systems around the world. This level of customization and scalability is critical for large healthcare organizations that operate in multiple regions or serve diverse populations.
Additionally, GSIs can support healthcare organizations at every stage of their AI journey, from strategy and planning to full implementation and long-term maintenance. This comprehensive approach ensures that AI solutions continue to deliver value as healthcare provider needs evolve.
Reducing administrative burdens and improving patient outcomes
Deploying AI in healthcare is not just about technology; it’s about solving real-world problems such as reducing administrative burdens on healthcare professionals, improving patient satisfaction and improving clinical outcomes.
AI-powered digital agents, such as those developed by Deloitte and NTT Data, can automate time-consuming tasks such as scheduling appointments, answering patient questions and managing administrative workflows, allowing healthcare providers to focus on more critical aspects of patient care .
In the case of NTT Data’s partnership with Duke Health, the focus is on creating a more holistic, AI-driven care model that allows patients to receive more of their care at home. This reduces pressure on hospital resources and provides patients with greater convenience and comfort, improving health outcomes and patient satisfaction.
I recently asked Emily Norboge, the chief research informatics officer at the Duke Cancer Institute, why Duke partnered with NTT Data on this solution. She said it was simple: Using a GSI like NTT Data “removes the barriers” to implementing complex systems, allowing the provider to focus on caring for patients.
At the 2024 HLTH conference in Las Vegas, NTT introduced Data Wound AI in collaboration with Vantiq and Telemedicine Solutions. This groundbreaking clinical decision support platform leverages NTT DATA’s Smart Management Platform to provide comprehensive analysis tools that improve the speed and accuracy of wound assessments.
Dr. Frownfelter of NTT Data told me that the ultimate ROI for AI-driven healthcare systems “is the patient experience.” It’s easy for anyone who has had to navigate the US healthcare system to be cynical about that sentiment, but these are not empty words for NTT Data and its customers.
Beyond patient well-being, healthcare providers have very real financial incentives to improve the experience. Healthcare providers are often not paid by insurance companies if, for example, a patient is readmitted after a visit, making post-visit care a basic part of the process. AI agents and other generative AI tools will enable better engagement with patients during a visit and during follow-up care.
Dr. Frownfelter pointed out one to me recent study that being said, in healthcare environments, AI-powered virtual agents can demonstrate empathy comparable to or even greater than that of human agents.
Meanwhile, Cognizant’s solutions streamline complex administrative workflows, such as contract lifecycle management and appeals resolution, increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the backend operations of healthcare organizations.
Analysts’ opinions
As healthcare providers increasingly turn to AI to solve critical challenges, GSIs like Deloitte, Cognizant and NTT Data are natural partners in this transformation. Their expertise in healthcare-specific AI applications and their ability to integrate, scale and secure these solutions make them invaluable allies in modernizing healthcare.
AI in healthcare is not a one-time deployment; it is an ongoing journey that requires constant innovation and support. GSIs, with their broad technology partnerships and deep R&D investments, are perfectly positioned to provide long-term support to healthcare providers.
The ability to stay at the forefront of AI technology ensures that healthcare organizations can continue to innovate and develop their AI capabilities over time. But ultimately it’s about more than just the technology.
GSIs also provide managed services, ongoing maintenance and future upgrades to ensure the AI solutions remain secure, compliant and optimized for performance as new challenges and opportunities arise in the healthcare industry.
By partnering with a GSI, healthcare providers can confidently navigate the complexities of AI adoption and the associated technological and regulatory challenges, while improving operational efficiency and patient outcomes. With GSIs taking the lead, the future of AI in healthcare looks bright and the benefits for both healthcare providers and patients are already being realized.