AHA participates in Newsweek panel on AI and physician burnout

Chris DeRienzo, M.D., AHA chief physician executive and senior vice president, participated Sept. 17 in a Newsweek event on physician burnout and how artificial intelligence impacts the issue. DeRienzo was the introductory speaker for the session, where he discussed his work meeting with hospital and health system executives and clinicians across the country, saying that workforce issues are a common theme in conversations.

"It's no secret that we're in the midst of a historic health care workforce crisis," DeRienzo said. "Our clinicians are burning out at alarmingly high rates." He added that finding solutions are a high priority for the AHA and hospitals nationwide, and that hospitals and health systems are finding success in their uses of technology to help. He shared how hospitals and health systems have had results such as reducing time in their electronic medical records for doctors by as much as 40 and 50 percent.

"Health care is - and will always be - a uniquely human experience," DeRienzo said. "That's why we need these kinds of conversations, because we cannot fail to thread the needle of technology with the fibers of our humanity."

Following DeRienzo was a panel discussion on physician burnout and how hospitals and health systems can use AI to ease pressures on health care workers.

Panelists included Eric Williamson, M.D., associate chair for radiology informatics and supervision of the Radiology Artificial Intelligence Program at Mayo Clinic; Ashley Beecy, M.D., medical director of artificial intelligence operations at NewYork-Presbyterian; Christine Sinsky, M.D., vice president of professional satisfaction at the American Medical Association; Pete Clardy, M.D., senior clinical specialist at Google Health; and Newsweek Health Care Editor Alexis Kayser.