Survey Finds Most U.S. Patients Don’t Trust AI in Healthcare Settings, Transparency Would Help

Survey Finds Most U.S. Patients Don’t Trust AI in Healthcare Settings, Transparency Would Help

Three out of four U.S. patients don’t trust AI in a healthcare setting, and nearly four out of five patients report not knowing if their provider is using AI, a new study by Carta Healthcare found.

The poll, led by Carta Healthcare, reached 1,027 U.S. adults in August. The company makes products aimed at streamlining admin tasks for providers. This was Carta’s first survey focused on AI.

In reality, 100% of healthcare providers are using AI and have been for a long time. This discrepancy illustrates the public’s misperception of using this technology, which is evident by the 43% of respondents who admit there are limitations in their understanding of AI.

“The survey indicates that Americans are uncertain about AI in healthcare, and that the healthcare industry needs to educate Americans about the benefits of AI to improve trust and comfort with its use,” says Matt Hollingsworth, CEO of Carta Healthcare. “AI can help providers improve patient care and outcomes, but it will best succeed if patients understand that it’s used as an assistive tool, not as a replacement for human interpretation and decisions.”

Most Americans are Unaware of AI Use and Consider Disclosure Important

While most respondents don’t know whether their healthcare providers use AI, they are torn about whether they would be comfortable with it – 49% say yes, and 51% say no – even if it would help improve diagnostic accuracy (51% say yes, 42% say no).

Regardless of actual usage, there is still disbelief and concern. Sixty-one percent trust that their provider could use it properly, while another 63% are worried that using AI may lead to less face time with their healthcare provider.

Patients need disclosure; the vast majority (80%) report that their knowledge of AI use within a practice is important for improving comfort.

Trust in AI is Low, But Americans are Willing to Learn More, and Education Could Improve Trust

The survey also indicates low sentiment from healthcare consumers regarding trusting and understanding AI. Only around one-third of U.S. patients trust AI (38%), and under two-thirds (57%) feel they understand AI well and how it’s used in healthcare. However, Americans are open to learning more and indicate that may improve their trust and comfort.

Forty-seven percent feel that if they were to learn about it, they would be more likely to trust it. Nearly two-thirds (65%) reported that if they were to have an explanation of the use of AI by their healthcare providers, it would make them more comfortable with its use.

Three-fifths believe that AI could be helpful to assist with the shortage of healthcare workers.

An infographic showcasing U.S. consumers’ sentiments on various topics related to healthcare, including AI, patient experience, and data privacy, can be found here .

Nurse Burnout and Technology: Finding the Balance

Nurse Burnout and Technology: Finding the Balance

Burnout impacts approximately 38% of nurses each year . Burnout isn’t a small issue, either. It can lead to a lack of empathy, a sense of dread as they head into work, and extra stress that could impact their physical and mental well-being.

Countless factors contribute to nurse burnout, from a busy schedule to difficult patients and demanding daily tasks. But technology has quickly been added to that list in recent years. It’s growing rapidly in the healthcare industry, and while it offers efficiency and innovation, it can also contribute to increased stress and fatigue among nursing professionals.

Technology isn’t going anywhere. The last thing you want to do as a nurse is let the stressful side of tech keep you from effectively utilizing it for its benefits. So, what can you do to strike a balance? How can you leverage technology to alleviate burnout rather than exacerbate it?

Understanding Emerging Technologies

Advancing technologies in the healthcare industry are designed to help professionals and patients alike. They are supposed to make your job easier, but that can only happen when you take the time to stay ahead of the latest advancements. With that in mind, some of the most popular emerging innovations in healthcare technology include:

  • Telehealth
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Healthcare wearables

These advancements can make treating and monitoring patients easier without necessarily having them come into your practice. You can connect with them digitally, monitor their progress through cloud-based services, and offer support without necessarily scheduling appointments.

That can take a lot of stress off of you and your patients. But it can also take things too far in the other direction. Telehealth is excellent for patients who have questions but can be abused. You might feel like you’re glued to a computer or tablet all day just trying to keep up with questions or requests. The same goes for wearable technology. Patients might have tech issues with their devices or wonder what specific data means. When you have to play the role of IT guru, it adds extra stress.

Virtual connected care is a great way to stay close to your patients and to provide greater one-on-one care. But don’t let it tie you down to technology so much that it causes you to feel overwhelmed by your other daily duties.

The Challenges of New Technology

Many healthcare facilities nationwide still rely on legacy technology — tech that utilizes outdated and antiquated hardware and software systems. But, because healthcare technology is advancing so quickly, practices are starting to understand the importance of switching to newer systems.

Unfortunately, when you’re used to working with a specific type of technology, changing to new technology can cause a lot of stress and confusion. You’ll have to get trained on new systems, learn about security and compliance, and might experience disturbances in workflow as everyone gets used to the new programs in place. Your practice can help to stop those disturbances and reduce stress by:

  • Creating a schedule that allows you to work with new systems before they go live;
  • Relying on experts for installation;
  • Providing open communication about upcoming changes;
  • Setting aside time for proper training.

New technology is beneficial in many ways. It can keep things organized, improve workflow (once everyone understands it), and provide better connections for each staff member and every patient. But keeping up with it isn’t always easy. Express your needs, take the time to train, and ensure you aren’t entirely relying on these new tech types to get the job done. There’s still something to be said for pen and paper!

Practice Self-Care

With technology in the picture or not, one of the best things you can do to prevent burnout and manage your stress is to take care of yourself. You spend countless hours each week caring for others, but it’s easy to forget about prioritizing your well-being.

Self-care isn’t selfish. You can’t pour from an empty cup and adequately care for patients when you’re exhausted, stressed, or even resentful of your job.

You can utilize technology to practice self-care each day. The same wearable health devices you recommend to patients can help you monitor your heart rate, track your sleep, and record your physical activity. You can also use technology to set daily reminders to take breaks. Sometimes, you might even need to remind yourself to eat a snack or break for lunch so you don’t feel sluggish and cranky by the end of your shift.

Nurse burnout is very real and a factor in the nationwide nursing shortage. Technology can help with that shortage and can help to reduce burnout, but only when it’s utilized the right way. Find a personal balance and a balance within your practice to take advantage of healthcare tech without letting it completely take over your job description.

Trinity Health Revolutionizes Nursing Practice Through Virtual Connected Care 

Trinity Health Revolutionizes Nursing Practice Through Virtual Connected Care 

Nursing has a predicted shortage of nine million nurses worldwide by 2030, and Trinity Health is addressing this critical challenge by introducing a first-of-its-kind care delivery model to 38 nursing units in their hospitals in eight states to address these challenges, improve care delivery, increase job satisfaction and create career pathways for nurses at any stage of their career.

The delivery care model is called Virtual Connected Care, and it’s a true team approach to patient-centered care using technology to support direct care staff and increase patient interaction.

Patients receiving care through this delivery model can expect to be treated by a direct care registered nurse, an on-site nursing assistant or LPN, and a registered nurse who virtually remotes into the patient’s room.

The team functions as a cohesive and highly connected unit to deliver comprehensive care. The virtual nurses are located on local campuses instead of an off-site call center and have remote access to complete medical records and even the ability to perform detailed examinations via advanced camera technology. The presence of an experienced virtual nurse provides invaluable mentoring and support to the direct care nurses, especially new graduates.

“Nursing resources are scarce and will only get worse. We needed to act swiftly. The workforce shortage has crippled the traditional model of hospital nursing, which is no longer optimal in some environments,” says Gay Landstrom, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer. “Our innovative care delivery model supports nurses doing what they love most, working at the top of their license to provide excellent professional care to their patients.”

The model serves as a key market differentiator that addresses the nursing workforce crisis head-on. Moreover, it accommodates caregivers at various stages of their careers, providing a stable and predictable working environment and helping to build a strong pipeline of caregivers to meet future healthcare needs.

“We recognize the imperative need for novel solutions, and we are taking a bold step toward revolutionizing nursing practice,” says Murielle Beene, DNP, RN-BC, FAAN, SVP, and chief health – informatics officer. “This model not only confronts the imminent challenges we face as clinicians, through creativity and ingenuity, but also enhances care delivery, bolsters job satisfaction–paving the way for the nurses of tomorrow. It is truly a pioneering strategy with a veritable team care model that will help us inspire a new era of nursing excellence.”

Telemedicine and Virtual Consultations: Expanding Nursing Roles in Rural Healthcare

Telemedicine and Virtual Consultations: Expanding Nursing Roles in Rural Healthcare

We’ve all heard the statistics about the growing need for trained healthcare professionals, especially nurses, within our society. Federal estimates indicate that not nearly enough people are entering the field to meet the projected healthcare needs of the coming decades.

Although the overall need is concerning, the issue is particularly acute in rural communities. Here, staffing shortages have caused the closure of entire wards of hospitals, forcing rural community members to travel great distances to seek healthcare treatment.

Rural nurses’ challenges can be profound, especially within the current system. Fortunately, new technologies are being incorporated to relieve some stresses and provide greater opportunities. Becoming a rural nurse comes with its real challenges, but these tech advancements could help make it a more rewarding decision.

Challenges Facing Rural Hospitals

Rural communities have experienced a sharp decline in economic output over the years. Over the past few decades, demographic trends in the United States have indicated that people are leaving rural areas and heading for the city in droves. The primary reason for this is the pursuit of better economic opportunities.

Healthcare services have not been excluded from this mass exodus from rural communities. Today, workforce shortages are common in rural hospitals , and many nurses choose to live and work in cities where higher pay and more amenities are available. This ultimately means that remaining rural nurses are spread thin and asked to treat a greater variety of ailments. Because rural communities are often lower-income, salaries are also lower for healthcare providers.

All of this has a significant impact on community members, too. Much research indicates that rural communities have more chronic conditions and poorer health outcomes. This can be attributed to several reasons, including fewer opportunities for local specialized care and economic factors that play into the ability to seek the right treatment elsewhere.

Many rural hospitals’ patient data are also more prone to cyberattacks. Although many hospitals should stay vigilant against these attacks through cybersecurity measures, it’s not unusual for nurses to fall prey to “security fatigue” in response to these measures. This term encapsulates the exhaustion that may come from overwhelming staff with too many security measures.

Tech-Based Solutions

Fortunately, technological advancements are alleviating some issues associated with obtaining necessary healthcare in a rural setting. The most important of these advancements is within the realm of telehealth. Telehealth services allow rural residents to “see” specialists and other healthcare providers from the comfort of their own homes or their local clinic.

Initial consultation appointments, examinations, post-treatment follow-up appointments, and rehab can be conducted online. All of which can save multiple trips to an urban center and thousands of dollars. Many health conditions can be treated via telehealth services, including things like:

  • Skin conditions;
  • Prescriptions and associated refills;
  • Allergy assessments;
  • Asthma treatments;
  • Mental health examinations and therapy;
  • Follow-up visits for hearing and visual healthcare;
  • Physical therapy and other forms of rehab;
  • Diabetes management and prevention;
  • Some forms of addiction treatment.

Rural nurses have a profound ability to play a critical role in their community healthcare as telemedicine becomes more mainstream. For one, nurses can be essential resources for urban doctors following up with their rural patients. These nurses can help reinforce treatment recommendations and ensure that patients fully understand the information communicated online.

As a rural community member, locals will trust you more than the urban doctors they speak with online. Rural communities are often very tight-knit, and the nurses within them are valued and trusted resources. This puts all rural nurses at the forefront of encouraging telehealth adoption and could make a profound difference in community healthcare outcomes.

Things to Consider Before Moving

Deciding to become a nurse in a rural area can be a challenging one. You may have wanted to return to your small town and make a difference in your local community, or you may be considering a rural lifestyle for yourself and your family. There are significant challenges working in a rural healthcare setting, but also several profound benefits and rewarding experiences.

One thing to consider is that many federal and state programs offer incentives for trained professionals to bring their skills to live and work in rural settings. For instance, some areas provide financial bonuses comparable to urban salaries to help bring healthcare professionals in. Others offer student loan forgiveness programs where nurses work for many years in a rural setting, and all of their loans are forgiven.

In some cases, a greater degree of autonomy is provided to rural nurses and other healthcare providers. Many nurse practitioners in rural settings have reported that they feel more able to practice to the full legal scope of their training. In contrast, in more urban settings, many have reported feeling they are still required to clear every decision with a doctor. Numerous bills in Congress seek to help loosen some restrictions that will make nurses more capable of providing services without direct doctor supervision.

It’s up to you to decide if the benefits of rural healthcare outweigh the challenges. If you choose to move, you must take extra time to account for these challenges.

Data-Driven Recruitment: Leveraging Analytics to Attract and Retain Nurses

Data-Driven Recruitment: Leveraging Analytics to Attract and Retain Nurses

Data is being incorporated for medical advancements to improve patient outcomes, and the same techniques can help recruit and retain healthcare professionals. This is especially true about one type of healthcare professional we could not live without – nurses.

Nurses form the bedrock of the healthcare system in the U.S. and are regularly ranked among the most trusted professions. Many of the most basic and humane healthcare services wouldn’t be provided without them. Unfortunately, many healthcare facilities are now struggling to attract and retain enough nurses to meet the needs of their communities. New data-driven recruitment strategies may help.

Addressing a Growing Nursing Shortage

It is hard not to be shell-shocked by the stark statistics associated with the gap between the number of nurses needed in the U.S. and the number that are currently projected to be available and in the workforce in the coming decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of registered nurses will increase by over 6% in the next decade , adding nearly 200,000 positions. However, many nurses are expected to leave the workforce during that same period due to retirements or career path changes.

This means that enough new nurses may be entering the workforce to sustain current levels, but there will need to be more to account for the increase in the need for nurses. The shortage in available nurses is anticipated to impact nearly every state in the nation but is particularly acute in rural Western states. Programs seek to lessen the impact of the projected shortages in rural areas, such as those that place nurses in rural areas in exchange for student loan repayment assistance.

The COVID-19 pandemic was an even more powerful blow to a field struggling to retain quality employees. The field of nursing saw an estimated 3% decline in the number of people in the workforce between 2020 and 2022. The pandemic and associated stresses were particularly difficult for nurses and those in the medical field. Many cited burnout, a lack of support, challenges with patients, and public perception of the pandemic as reasons for leaving nursing altogether.

Hospital administration officials and other healthcare leaders recognize the problem and are actively searching for effective methods of educating, recruiting, and retaining more nurses. Some of these strategies are starting to pay off already, while others are just getting off the ground, including using data to help bridge the gap.

Data-Driven Nurse Recruitment

Many hospitals are putting renewed energy into fostering relationships with nursing schools. Likewise, the schools are working hard to utilize state-approved funding to develop the infrastructure to accept and train more aspiring nurses. For example, Arizona recently passed a bill allocating over $15 million to develop a pilot program focused on nurse education. To do this, they attend career fairs or technical events, collect information on students interested in the program, and follow up. Schools collect valuable and useful information at events, such as demographics, contact information, social media platforms, and event feedback.

Incorporating data analytics into the recruitment process can significantly increase hiring efficiency and improve the quality of the candidates brought on. For instance, it can be easier to identify nurses most interested in working in certain cities or departments and strategically hire them for positions they are more likely to be invested in.

Data analytics can also help identify issues within the hiring process itself. Making a few tweaks to the interview questions may make a big difference. Likewise, data can point out problems with diversity hiring or subconscious biases that a panel might pick up. Data can look deeper under the surface to ensure diversity goals are met at all levels.

Using Data to Create a Valued Culture

Data can also be a powerful tool for building a positive culture that makes employees want to stay at their workplace rather than move on to a different position. For instance, data can be used to build a more transparent workplace where employees feel they have a real connection and line of communication with management. Issues can be more easily tracked and evaluated over time – company leaders can make policy changes and collect data to assess how they are helping.

One example could be a hospital that is getting several reports that its nurses are burnt out and struggling with some of the trauma they see every day. It is a stressful job, and many locations are likely already dealing with similar issues. Administrative staff could implement several solutions, such as rotating nurses to different floors to give them a break or bringing in a professional mental health expert to help nurses process. Data collected before and after these changes are made can help determine the actual impacts of policies and how they improve conditions.

Data can play a significant role in helping healthcare facilities attract and retain nurses. The tools can be used to improve the hiring process and assess the effectiveness of policy changes to improve workplace conditions. Incorporating data could play an essential role in helping alleviate the growing nursing shortage nationwide.

Nurses as Key Players in Telehealth

Nurses as Key Players in Telehealth

While the average person probably thinks that nurses working via telehealth is something new that came about during COVID, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I have personally been practicing in telehealth for the past eight years,” says Mariea Snell, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, an associate professor of nursing and the director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs at Maryville University . “I think the pandemic changes how people access care in large numbers, but it is not new. Many people with access issues due to physical disabilities or needs have used these systems. Others did not fully understand what it could do until put to the test.”

Georgia Reiner, MS CPHRM, a Risk Analyst at the Nurses Service Organization (NSO), agrees that telehealth has been around for a while. She adds, though, that its use has dramatically increased.

“Some nursing professionals, mainly advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse practitioners (NPs), worked in telehealth before the beginning of the pandemic. However, there has been a dramatic increase in the utilization and availability of telehealth services due to policy changes implemented in response to the COVID pandemic,” says Reiner. “For example, an analysis by McKinsey & Co found that telehealth accounted for less than 1% of Medicare services before the onset of the pandemic, but by July of 2021, telehealth services accounted for about 13-17% of claims submitted to Medicare. Additionally, licensing requirements were relaxed in many states, which helped enable nursing professionals to practice across state lines via telehealth, as were requirements that patients have an established relationship with a provider before they could receive telehealth services. However, many of those policy changes are set to expire at the end of the public health emergency, leaving the future of telehealth services somewhat in question.”

Additional Training

If you’ve never worked in telehealth before, you may wonder if it’s necessary to receive additional training before working in it. The answer is yes and no.

“All nurses can participate in telehealth,” says Snell. “They would provide the level of care that each are currently licensed to provide. In the case of a DNP/NP, they would treat patients the same way they would in an office setting.”

However, the training that nurses would and could receive will depend on several factors.

“Nurses and advanced practice registered nurses may receive training through their educational programs on the use of telehealth. If nurses do not receive this training in their educational preparation, they may receive it through their employment or workshops and educational programs. There are certification courses that are available for healthcare providers to take as well,” explains Robin Arends, DNP, CNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-CE, CNE, FAAN, FAANP, the APRN Program Director at South Dakota State University as well as a nurse practitioner at Avel eCare. She’s published and presented both workshops and talks about all aspects of telehealth—regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Nurses have worked in a variety of settings in telehealth—such as school nursing, critical care, emergency care, specialty care, and geriatrics, Arends says. Be sure to check if the state you’re practicing in mandates training or taking a test before providing telehealth services.

She continues: “Nurses should be trained to use the telehealth equipment to complete the assessment and how to help others at a remote location use the equipment. They should understand how to appear on camera and communicate with patients through technology. Nurses should be aware of the background that the patient sees on camera and any sounds occurring in their environment. Nurses must know and comply with HIPAA, information security, and confidentiality. Nurses should also be aware of licensing requirements as they need to be licensed in the state where the patient is located.”

Because she works as a risk analyst, Reiner takes a deeper dive when explaining the training nurses need and why.

“Nursing professionals working in telehealth need to verify with relevant state professional licensing boards the practitioners — known as “qualified providers” — who can legally provide telehealth services. Nurses must be appropriately credentialed to practice in the state(s) where their patients or clients are located and work under that state’s scope of practice for nursing professionals,” Reiner says.

“Prior to beginning any telehealth work, nurses need to be prepared and have a backup plan in place in case of an emergency or technology breakdown. In addition to obtaining their patient’s/client’s consent before participating in telehealth services, nurses must also clearly convey to their patients/clients the inherent technical and operational hazards that may impede communication, such as:

  • System compromise or hardware failure, which could lead to an incomplete or failed transmissions.
  • File corruption or other data transmission issues, resulting in less than complete, unclear, or inaccurate reception of information or images.
  • Unauthorized third-party access, which may lead to data integrity or information security problems.
  • Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, which can potentially interrupt operations and compromise computer networks.

Whether a nurse can or should provide telehealth services from their residence depends on factors including state regulations, their employer’s policies, and procedures, their home environment and infrastructure, their ability to comply with technical, security, and confidentiality considerations from their home, as well as the nurse’s comfort level with engaging in telehealth practice from their home.”

Challenges

Working in telehealth may seem much easier because it can be done from nearly anywhere. However, there are some challenges to working in it.

“The biggest challenge is that providing services via telehealth is so different from traditional, in-person care, where a patient is physically present in front of the nurse. When providing telehealth services, the nurse relies entirely on technology for the patient encounter. In addition to adhering to traditional clinical standards of care and practicing within the scope of practice authorized by law, there are also technical considerations,” says Reiner. “Equipment and software must be routinely tested, maintained, and updated for quality assurance. Nursing professionals and their employers must also track how well a telehealth program functions carefully. Indicators should capture clinical, efficiency, and satisfaction outcomes, including:

  • Patient/client complication and morbidity rates
  • Compliance with provider performance criteria
  • Diagnostic accuracy
  • Adherence to clinical protocols
  • Referral rates
  • Patient/client satisfaction levels
  • Cost per case
  • Delays in accessing consultations, referrals, or specialty practitioners
  • Average waiting times

Arends says that another challenge is that nurses must remember to maintain licenses in the states where their patients are located—and follow that state’s practice rules and regulations.

Remember Documentation

Just as you would if seeing a patient in person, nurses need to do documentation.

“Telehealth sessions should be as thoroughly documented as all other patient/client encounters. Just because some information may be automatically captured by software doesn’t negate the nurse’s professional responsibilities around documentation,” Reiner states. “Documentation in the patient’s medical record should be in accordance with the same documentation standards of in-person visits—including documentation of all communications with the patient or other providers (whether verbal, audiovisual, or written), clinical observations, orders, test results, and patient education and follow-up instructions.”

Telehealth Helps Nurses Become a Key Player

According to our sources, if you haven’t decided whether to look into providing telehealth, you should.

“Nurses should consider getting into telehealth because this is the direction that healthcare is going in. Incorporating technology in care will continue to develop and will never go back,” says Snell. “It is important to stay current with this trend. You won’t necessarily make more money, but you will be more marketable and have a better work-life balance.”

Arends agrees. “Nurses should consider working in telehealth because there are increasing opportunities in this area of healthcare. Patients saw the benefit of telehealth during COVID and want to continue to receive healthcare through this modality. Telehealth has shown high patient and provider satisfaction. I predict that telehealth will only continue to grow and expand.”

In addition, Arends believes that nurses will become key players in telehealth. “Nurses are the core of healthcare. In traditional settings such as hospitals, they are the first to alert providers to changes in the patient’s condition and are truly the front lines of healthcare. This will continue to be seen in telehealth,” she says. “Many studies have shown that nurses utilizing telehealth for remote monitoring as well as real-time audio video telehealth formats have reduced complications and readmissions and increased access to care.”

The benefits to patients are seemingly endless. “Nurses work where the patients are. Some patients cannot travel to clinics because of weather, physical condition, or other factors. Nurses who work in telehealth can care for patients when the patients are not able to seek care from traditional locations. Like home visits, nurses can visit the patients in their home environment. They can assess how the patient moves and works in their environment. They can assess for safety hazards in the home environment as well.”

Finally, working as a nurse with patients in telehealth can also be immensely rewarding. “The greatest award of working in telehealth is helping the patient achieve the best health outcomes while minimizing barriers to accessing healthcare,” says Arends. “Helping a patient who may not be able to access healthcare for various reasons achieve control of chronic diseases or feel healthier is a huge reward for telehealth. In addition, helping patients meet their personal care goals in their preferred environment is also optimal.”