How Technology Is Transforming Patient Care

James Lindsey is the IT Strategy and Innovation Principal at Texas Oncology.

When we first brought AI into the clinic, we didn’t expect it to do much of anything besides documentation. Healthcare is notorious for its administrative demands, and AI felt like a way to ease that load. But the experience has surprised me. As it turns out, AI has a knack for finding insights in places we haven’t been able to look. What started as a scribing tool to keep notes organized has ended up giving us a new perspective on patient care itself.

There’s something almost humbling about it—how a piece of software can leap the hurdles to understanding our patients better. And it’s got me wondering: What other seemingly mundane tasks could be a goldmine of insights if we look at them differently?

A Better Focus On The Patient

One of the most unexpected gifts AI has given us is time. In a typical clinic visit, a doctor is often juggling attention between the patient and a screen, making sure every detail gets documented. When AI started handling that, it let us go back to basics: simply being with the patient. No more clacking away at a keyboard or glancing between screens—just a straightforward, focused conversation.

Patients noticed the difference right away. They felt heard in a way that honestly gets lost in the shuffle sometimes. There’s really no substitute for that direct human connection. If technology can support human connections in a healthcare setting, it’s a win for everyone involved.

New Potentials For Real-Time Care

What’s really exciting is that AI can turn out to be useful in ways you hadn’t planned for. We initially thought of our scribing assistant as just an aid for notes, but it quickly became clear that it could support us in real-time decision-making. AI doesn’t just keep track of data—it can flag important information as it happens. Whether it’s identifying conditions that might need attention or suggesting clinical trial matches, AI started playing an active role in the care process.

This was a reminder that sometimes you have to start using a tool to see what it can really do. I’m still learning to be open to these surprises, and to let them shape our approach to patient care. Still, not every off-the-shelf AI solution can deliver what we need. Providers want accuracy, but also want their notes to reflect their voice and adapt to their formatting preferences. They want customization in how the AI works for each of them. And they want a tool that best serves their patients.

Privacy And Security Remain The Foundation

Like providers, my focus through these advancements is to protect the people we serve. We took time to evaluate different options to see what best supported our needs and our high standards for privacy and security. I advise others to do the same, and to really take the time to evaluate your options as you test different use cases.

Any AI implementation must stay compliant with HIPAA standards, and we’ve set up processes to see that our data handling remains secure. But it goes way beyond a checklist. For patients, knowing their data is handled with care is fundamental to the trust we’re building with them.

AI is powerful, but it’s only as valuable as the trust it supports. If we can’t hold onto that, the benefits just don’t matter. This journey has reinforced the need to keep privacy, security and transparency at the heart of any innovation.

Time And Energy To Focus On What Matters

The practical benefits are becoming harder for healthcare leaders to ignore. AI can make our work more efficient, yes, but more importantly, it’s giving doctors a bit of their personal time back. That might seem like a small thing, but when you’re not going home with hours of notes still hanging over your head, it changes everything. It allows doctors to come back the next day ready to focus on patients rather than feeling stretched thin.

For patients, this shift is equally important. They’re getting a doctor who’s more present and attentive. A doctor who can hold their hand through tough situations instead of typing at a computer. It’s reminded me of something simple but crucial: When healthcare works well, it benefits everyone involved.

Looking Ahead

If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that AI has a way of surprising you. I didn’t see it coming—not in this way—and yet here it is, opening doors to a more connected, patient-centered approach to care.

I think about where this could lead us in healthcare, and I’m hopeful. It feels like a chance to bring healthcare back to its roots, where the focus is always on the patient. And that, to me, is what this technology is really all about.

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