The American Medical Association has come out with a number of recommendations for ensuring proper use, oversight and accountability of augmented intelligence in healthcare.

AMA delegates endorsed the suggestions at their annual meeting this week, viewing them as essential for providing quality patient care with increased value, greater professional satisfaction of physicians, and improved population health for patient care, at reduced costs.

“Our AMA supports the use and payment of augmented intelligence (AI) systems that advance the quadruple aim,” AMA told HCB News. “AI systems should enhance the patient experience of care and outcomes, improve population health, reduce overall costs for the healthcare system while increasing value, and support the professional satisfaction of physicians and the healthcare team.”

Among its recommendations are:

• Oversight and regulation of healthcare AI systems based on risk of harm and benefit. This includes, but is not limited to, intended and reasonably expected use(s); evidence of safety, efficacy, and equity including addressing bias; AI system methods; level of automation; transparency; and, conditions of deployment.

• Payment and coverage for all healthcare AI systems that are conditioned on complying with all appropriate federal and state laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, those governing patient safety, efficacy, equity, truthful claims, privacy, and security, as well as state medical practice and licensure laws.

• Payment and coverage for health care AI systems that (a) are informed by real-world workflow and human-centered design principles; (b) enable physicians to prepare for and transition to new care delivery models; (c) support effective communication and engagement among patients, physicians, and the healthcare team; (d) seamlessly integrate clinical, administrative, and population health management functions into workflow; and (e) seek end-user feedback to support iterative product improvement.

• Payment and coverage policies that advance affordability and access to AI systems designed for small physician practices and patients and not limited to large practices and institutions. Government-conferred exclusivities and intellectual property laws that foster innovation as well as competition, access, and affordability.

• Policies that do not penalize physicians who do not use AI systems while regulatory oversight, standards, clinical validation, clinical usefulness, and standards of care are in flux. Opposing mandates by payers, hospitals, health systems, or governmental entities mandating the use of health care AI systems as a condition of licensure, participation, payment, or coverage.

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