Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth has raked in savings north of $62 million by improving patient flow and infusing systems with artificial intelligence.
Since integrating its existing EHR system with an AI tool from Qventus in 2021, the health system has been able to take on an additional average of 3.3 cases per operating room per month. On top of that, it also allowed the health system to reduce length of stay by 0.65 days, Kathi Zarubi, DNP, RN, HonorHealth's chief nursing officer told Becker's.
The most useful part of the tool for HonorHealth's purposes was its AI-generated expected discharge dates.
"The majority of HonorHealth's $62 million in savings really stemmed from the reduction of excess days by addressing the inefficiencies in our patient discharges and by optimizing our patient flow," Dr. Zarubi said.
It also features a scheduling tool for surgeons, which has helped HonorHealth do better with resource utilization and a more engaged physicians and staff, she said.
"To give but one example of how the tool helped us better utilize expensive resources, when robotic time is released, even if it is just a few hours, without us doing anything, that time is advertised to other robotic surgeons," Dr. Zarubi said. "We have seen great success in surgeries being scheduled following Qventus' automated outreach."
As more health systems adopt AI tools, Dr. Zarubi says it is critical for them to understand, "that implementing AI solutions is not like implementing a typical technology upgrade," she said.
Partnering with the right AI optimization partner is critical, but that's only the beginning of successfully adopting AI as a health system.
"AI solutions create new workflows and eliminate others. Successful adoption of AI solutions requires changes to people's daily work routines at all levels of the organization," Dr. Zarubi said. "Engaged clinical and operational leaders at all these levels, who understand the AI opportunity and manage the changes required, are critical for success."