NTT DATA Research Reveals Opportunities to Overcome Challenges and Increase Benefits of GenAI in Healthcare

In-depth analysis highlights importance of strategic implementations, governance and training

TOKYO & PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research by NTT DATA, a global leader in business and technology services, reveals that healthcare organizations are struggling to create cohesion between their GenAI ambitions and strategies. More than 80% of healthcare organization leaders surveyed said they have a well-defined GenAl strategy, but only 40% agreed their GenAl strategy strongly aligns with their business strategy. Only 54% classified their GenAI capability as high performing.

GenAI already is transforming healthcare through enhanced quality of patient and provider experiences as well as better financial outcomes. Yet even greater improvements and return on investment are hindered by challenges in data security, privacy, ethics and regulatory compliance. These findings are among the highlights of NTT DATA’s new executive insight report, GenAI: The Care Plan for Powering Positive Health Outcomes. The report is based on responses from 425 decision makers and influencers from healthcare organizations across 33 countries.

Key Findings

• 94% of respondents say GenAI accelerates R&D to enable faster access to new treatments, improved diagnostics, predictive analytics and task automation.
• 95% believe cloud-based solutions are the most practical and cost-effective option for their GenAI technology needs.
• 75% acknowledge a lack of necessary skills to work with GenAI effectively, while 93% are addressing GenAI’s impact on employee roles and responsibilities.

“To achieve GenAI’s full potential in healthcare, organizations must align the technology to their business strategies, develop comprehensive workforce training, and implement multilayered governance strategies that prioritize people and keep humans in the loop,” said Sundar Srinivasan, Head of Healthcare, NTT DATA North America. “It’s vital to transparently show how the technology benefits patients by complementing human workers.”

Human-centric GenAI solutions enable clinicians and administrative staff to work more efficiently while maintaining a safe, patient-centered approach to healthcare. For instance, GenAI technology can predict chronic diseases to enable early intervention and can also reduce handling time for prior authorization inquiries. In another example, NTT DATA and Duke Health are using GenAI to create an advanced interactive model for home care to improve outcomes while reducing workloads and stress for clinicians, hospitals and patients.

Improved compliance and process adherence are among top outcomes from current GenAI investments, yet a massive 91% of healthcare executives are fearful of privacy violations and potential misuse of Protected Health Information (PHI). Just 42% strongly agree their existing cybersecurity controls effectively protect current GenAI applications. That said, 87% of respondents agree the existing benefits and long-term potential of GenAI outweigh security and legal risks. 59% plan significant GenAI investments over the next two years.

Other challenges for rapid and responsible GenAI implementation in healthcare include outdated technology infrastructure and data readiness. 91% say legacy infrastructure greatly affects their ability to use GenAI, while 44% strongly agree they have sufficiently invested in data storage and processing capabilities for GenAI workloads. Only 48% have assessed the GenAI readiness of their data and platforms.

“In addition to clearly supporting operating objectives, AI systems also must be aligned with regulatory and clinical guidelines,” Srinivasan said. “Success hinges on high data quality and establishing collaborative decision-making teams.”

Download the full report here, and visit our website to learn more about NTT DATA’s solutions for healthcare.

Methodology

Of the 425 respondents, 81% represent large enterprises with more than 10,000 employees. 70% are from the C-suite; 28% are a vice president, head or director; and 3% are senior managers or specialists. 28% hold IT-specific roles.

About NTT DATA

NTT DATA is a $30+ billion trusted global innovator of business and technology services. We serve 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and are committed to helping clients innovate, optimize and transform for long-term success. As a Global Top Employer, we have experts in more than 50 countries and a robust partner ecosystem of established and start-up companies. Our services include business and technology consulting, data and artificial intelligence, industry solutions, as well as the development, implementation and management of applications, infrastructure and connectivity. We are also one of the leading providers of digital and AI infrastructure in the world. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3.6 billion each year in R&D to help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future.