Digital Information Ecosystems in Modern Care Coordination and Patient Care Pathways and the Challenges and Opportunities for AI Solutions

• Published in: Journal of medical Internet research 2024-12, Vol.26 (1), p.e60258
• Main Authors: Chen, You, Lehmann, Christoph U, Malin, Bradley
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Computational linguistics; Critical Pathways; Digital Technology; Ecosystems; Health care reform; Humans; Information management; Information storage and retrieval; Language processing; Medical care; Medical personnel; Natural language interfaces; Privacy; Quality management; Technology application; Viewpoint
• ISSN: 1438-8871; 1439-4456; 1438-8871
• DOI: 10.2196/60258

The integration of digital technologies into health care has significantly enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of care coordination. Our perspective paper explores the digital information ecosystems in modern care coordination, focusing on the processes of information generation, updating, transmission, and exchange along a patient's care pathway. We identify several challenges within this ecosystem, including interoperability issues, information silos, hard-to-map patient care journeys, increased workload on health care professionals, coordination and communication gaps, and compliance with privacy regulations. These challenges are often associated with inefficiencies and diminished care quality. We also examine how emerging artificial intelligence (AI) tools have the potential to enhance the management of patient information flow. Specifically, AI can boost interoperability across diverse health systems; optimize and monitor patient care pathways; improve information retrieval and care transitions; humanize health care by integrating patients' desired outcomes and patient-reported outcome measures; and optimize clinical workflows, resource allocation, and digital tool usability and user experiences. By strategically leveraging AI, health care systems can establish a more robust and responsive digital information ecosystem, improving care coordination and patient outcomes. This perspective underscores the importance of continued research and investment in AI technologies in patient care pathways. We advocate for a thoughtful integration of AI into health care practices to fully realize its potential in revolutionizing care coordination.