The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is quickly growing, with big tech companies like Nvidia, Google, and Microsoft leading efforts to solve one of the industry’s toughest problems: administrative inefficiencies. At the upcoming HLTH healthcare technology conference in Las Vegas, AI tools designed to ease these operational struggles will be in the spotlight. As the global healthcare market is expected to surpass $6.8 trillion by the end of the decade, tech companies see a chance to change the field by lightening the workloads of healthcare professionals and improving patient outcomes.
Doctors and nurses often deal with heavy administrative tasks, like managing patient records, handling insurance claims, and following regulations, which take time away from patient care. Data spread across different systems adds to these challenges. This burden is a major cause of burnout, and experts predict the U.S. could face a shortage of 100,000 healthcare workers by 2028, according to Mercer. To address this, tech companies are rushing to create AI solutions that could help ease the load.
Google has made strides in expanding its healthcare tools with AI to cut down administrative work. Last year at HLTH, it introduced Vertex AI Search for Healthcare in a trial phase. This year, it’s fully available, helping doctors search through multiple medical records more easily, saving time and refocusing on patient care.
A Google survey showed that clinicians spend around 28 hours a week on administrative tasks, with 80% saying it takes away from patient care. Plus, 91% of healthcare workers are hopeful about AI’s ability to reduce these burdens, showing an openness to innovation.
Microsoft is also stepping up with AI-powered tools to lighten healthcare’s administrative load. Recently, it rolled out tools for medical imaging and an automated system to assist nurses with documentation. Although still being developed, these tools aim to streamline tasks, letting nurses concentrate more on patients.
One of Microsoft’s standout offerings is DAX Copilot, a tool that uses AI to automatically transcribe doctor-patient conversations into clinical notes. Developed by Nuance Communications, a company Microsoft bought in 2021 for $16 billion, this tool cuts down on manual data entry for electronic health records. Microsoft is also working on a similar tool just for nurses.
AI-based documentation tools have gained speed in 2023, with new players like Abridge and Suki entering the market. Abridge, backed by over $460 million—including from Nvidia’s venture capital arm—has highlighted the fast adoption of these tools as a turning point for clinical documentation.
Nvidia, best known for its work in graphics processing units (GPUs), is now a major player in healthcare, using its tech to power AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. With Nvidia’s stock up more than 150% this year, the company is ready to show how generative AI can help healthcare providers focus more on patient care, according to Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare.
Nvidia’s role in healthcare goes beyond administrative tools, as it’s also involved in medical devices, drug discovery, genomics, and medical imaging. In early 2024, Nvidia expanded partnerships with leaders like Johnson & Johnson and GE HealthCare, showing its growing influence in the industry.
While healthcare has traditionally been slow to embrace new technology, the impact of AI—especially after ChatGPT’s rise—has caught a lot of attention. But many healthcare organizations are still in the early stages of testing these solutions, and tech companies will need to prove that their tools can truly solve healthcare’s complex challenges.
As the HLTH conference moves forward, it’s clear that AI has the potential to transform healthcare by reducing the administrative burden on doctors and nurses, improving efficiency, and leading to better patient outcomes. However, successful adoption will depend on careful evaluation, smooth implementation, and proof that these tools can deliver real results. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia are betting big on AI’s ability to change healthcare, but only time will tell if these technologies will live up to the industry’s high expectations.
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