Sydney summit leads policy recommendations for AI integration in healthcare

Digital & Innovation: A distinguished assembly of researchers, governmental authorities, and industry leaders converged in Sydney on August 15, 2023, to shape a visionary roadmap and policy recommendations for the prudent and ethical implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Facilitated by the Australian Alliance for AI in Healthcare (AAAiH), this landmark initiative seeks to chart the course towards leveraging AI’s potential while upholding safety and responsibility.

The National AI in Healthcare Policy Workshop, held at Macquarie University, received robust backing from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI), CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre (AEHRC), RMIT, Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH), and Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC). Key stakeholders in attendance included the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, along with representatives from Federal, State, and Territory Departments of Health, as well as notable figures from pivotal stakeholder and regulatory bodies.

Speaking as the Director of AIHI and a founding member of AAAiH, Professor Enrico Coiera underscored the vital significance of their mission. He remarked, “We are developing policy options to not only assist in dealing with the specific challenges of using AI safely, effectively and securely in healthcare, but also to support companies investing in bringing AI to healthcare settings.”

Professor Coiera emphasised, “A whole of system approach will be required from Government, industry and research due to the increasing opportunity for AI to be expanded into Australian healthcare settings, bringing with it not only prospects for enormous benefit, but also areas of concern.”

While the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates AI intended for medical devices in Australia, Professor Coiera cautioned healthcare professionals and consumers about untested AI applications. He asserted, “Large language models such as ChatGPT are not designed for use in clinical settings and have not been certified to be used safely in any aspect of patient care.”

Professor Karin Verspoor, Dean of RMIT’s School of Computing Technologies and a co-founder of AAAiH, stressed the paramount significance of privacy in AI-powered healthcare. She noted, “There are strict requirements to obtain consent and protect personal information in healthcare, which for example may prohibit cross-border transfer of data (e.g. to a large language model run by a foreign corporation) where its re-use is not controllable, and may breach local laws.”

Underlining the diversity of clinical contexts, Dr David Hansen, CEO of AEHRC and co-founder of AAAiH, accentuated the necessity of localising AI models. He asserted, “AI models can perform very differently across clinical settings because of patient, service and workflow differences. AI model localisation will be needed for the routine use of many AI systems in healthcare and will inevitably require specific governance such as provider organisation accreditation.”

Annette Schmiede, CEO of DHCRC, acknowledged Australia’s prowess in healthcare delivery and called for focused support for the digital technology sector. She articulated, “Pressure from larger, more well-resourced, global competitors and lack of regulatory clarity are real challenges for Australian SMEs. There needs to be targeted support to help innovative products come to market, mechanisms to provide access to clinical data to support AI development, and the creation of a National AI in Healthcare Strategy.”

The insights and policy recommendations germinated from the workshop are poised to pave the way for a more robust and accountable AI healthcare ecosystem. Scheduled for release later this year, these recommendations will fortify existing healthcare-specific regulatory frameworks, spanning three crucial domains:

– Governance encompassing Safety, Quality, Ethics, and Security of healthcare AI
– Cultivation of a dynamic healthcare AI industry in Australia
– Enhancement of competencies within the healthcare workforce and the consumer base to effectively engage with AI.

AAAiH counts over 100 member organisations from diverse sectors, including industry, health services, academia, and consumer advocacy. This collaborative force stands poised to sculpt the AI-driven healthcare landscape with integrity and foresight.

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