With Prinsjesdag behind us, the new coalition has finally agreed to a coalition agreement. In the upcoming years, the focus will lie on restoring healthcare to an acceptable state for everyone involved. Underlined in the coalition agreement is the implementation of automation, including AI, with the goals of not only halving the time spent on secondary care, like administration, but also creating more time for primary care (Ministerie van Algemene Zaken, 2024). Research shows that currently more than 48% of healthcare professionals spend at least a quarter of their working hours on administrative, while around 18% even spend 50% or more time on the same secondary tasks. Time better spent in direct patient care (FNV Zorg & Welzijn, 2024).
Data Availability
While the coalition agreement clearly shows ambition to improve the healthcare sector, it remains to be seen if all goals will be achieved. The Federation of Medical Specialists (FMS) states that, despite the government’s efforts to reduce the administrative burdens with the implementation of AI, the current data infrastructure needs to be improved for the proposed solutions to have influence (Buiting, P.H., 2024).
Patient Willingness
The Data availability is not the only challenge in the long-term implementation of AI in the healthcare sector faces. While some market leaders in the sector might be quite innovative, smaller organisations often lack money or knowledge to realise such innovations. Most administrative work is done by a handful of employees, while the rest lack the necessary knowledge. For national AI implementation to be effective, awareness must be increased. For example, the elderly care sector is known to be outdated, with management dashboards and handwritten analyses being the norm, except for a few exceptions. Generative AI’s (GenAI), such as Microsoft’s Copilot, could significantly speed up this process by generating analyses in second rather than hours or days. However, this introduces another challenge: Data Privacy.
To currently use Microsoft’s Copilot on a bigger scale, data must be sent to the United States to process. Government regulations like the Medical Device Regulation (MDR), the Dutch Medical Treatment Agreement Act (WGBO), the Dutch Act on the Security of Network and Information Systems (WBNI), the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) all there to protect the patient’s privacy in the rapidly growing world of AI, but they hinder this process (Van Smeden, M, et al., 2021).
In short, while the changes suggested in the new coalition agreement are necessary, I would like to emphasize that raising awareness within the sector should be a priority. Increased awareness can lead to greater willingness to accept and adopt innovative technologies, thereby enhancing the likelihood of successful AI implementation.
FNV Zorg & Welzijn. (2024). Rapportage Belastingservice april 2024 Onderzoek – Zorg- & Welzijnsbarometer. https://www.fnv.nl/getmedia/00206470-8f1f-4ae1-9fc8-9a8f9a7d40be/FNV-Zorg-en-Welzijnsbarometer-rapportage-n-a-v-onderzoek-adminstratiedruk-in-de-sector-Zorg-en-Welzijn-mei-2024.pdf
Ministerie van Algemene Zaken. (2024, 13 september). Regeerprogramma Kabinet-Schoof. Publicatie | Rijksoverheid.nl. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/publicaties/2024/09/13/regeerprogramma-kabinet-schoof
Skipr Redactie. (2024, 17 september). FMS: ‘Minister moet regie pakken op databeschikbaarheid’ – Skipr. Skipr. https://www.skipr.nl/nieuws/fms-minister-moet-regie-pakken-op-databeschikbaarheid/
Van Smeden, M., Moons, C., Hooft, L., Kant, I., Van Os, H., & Chavannes, N. (2021). Guideline for high-quality diagnostic and prognostic applications of AI in healthcare. Published online.
Wilman, S. (2024, 17 september). Opinie: AI is de verraderlijke troef van Fleur Agema – Zorgvisie. Zorgvisie. https://www.zorgvisie.nl/blog/opinie-ai-is-de-verraderlijke-troef-van-fleur-agema/
From Coalition Agreement to Reality: The Future of AI in the Dutch Healthcare Sector
18
September
2024
