QUESTION:
What is the Joint Commission’s initiative for AI use in healthcare all about?

ANSWER FROM HORTYSPRINGER ATTORNEY MOISES TONOC BONILLA:
Recently, the Joint Commission and the Coalition for Health AI (“CHAI”) released an initial, high-level guidance document titled, “The Responsible Use of AI in Healthcare” (the “RUAIH Guidance”).  The RUAIH Guidance is intended to ultimately serve as internal guidance to help U.S. health systems safely and effectively implement AI in healthcare.

Importantly, the RUAIH Guidance does not (1) direct the development of AI tools or (2) validate the effectiveness of any AI tools used at a particular facility.  Rather, the RUAIH Guidance is designed to identify the responsible use and implementation of AI-enabled tools that health care organizations may ultimately use.  Moreover, the Joint Commission and CHAI anticipate developing a “Responsible Use of AI” playbook and voluntary “Use of AI” certification program sometime in the future.  But for now, the RUAIH Guidance identifies seven elements of responsible AI use in health care, including “Patient Privacy and Transparency”; “Data Security and Data Use Protections”; “Ongoing Quality Monitoring”; and “Risk and Bias Assessment.”  These elements, according to RUAIH Guidance, aim at reducing risks with AI error and improving administrative, operational, and patient outcomes by leveraging AI’s potential.  The RUAIH Guidance can be found here.

If you have a quick question about this, e-mail Moises at mtonocbonilla@hortyspringer.com.