From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— A health care executive survey from Madison consultancy Nordic found few respondents have ready frameworks for rolling out AI applications.
The survey was conducted by New Jersey-based market research group Signet Research Inc. for communications firm Modern Healthcare Content Studio on behalf of Nordic. Between Jan. 29 and Feb. 11, the survey got responses by email from 127 health care executives.
Seventy percent of respondents said they feel at least somewhat confident in their “cross-institutional” governance frameworks, but only 25% have well-established governance in place for AI implementation.
“The disparity suggests that while healthcare executives recognize the importance of AI governance, many are still in the early stages of developing the necessary policies and oversight mechanisms,” authors wrote.
And while 71% of respondents said they have at least some AI infrastructure in place, 52% said those systems need more development or expansion. Plus, only 15% said their infrastructure is “easily scalable,” which Nordic says could pose a challenge for efforts to expand AI-driven initiatives.
Top infrastructure challenges for respondents include data integration and interoperability, with 51% citing that as a challenge; data analytics tools, 50%; and data security, 37%.
“A key takeaway from these results is that many organizations implement new technologies without a cohesive strategy, forcing teams to adapt their workflows around the technology rather than leveraging it as a tool for operational enhancement,” authors wrote.
Meanwhile, responses suggest AI training is “still not a priority” for most health care organizations, study authors wrote. Just 6% said they have extensive AI training programs in place, while 47% are just starting to prioritize AI training. Another 35% said it’s not a priority but “plans to address it are on the horizon.”
See the full results and see the release below.
— Most pediatric patients recently needing surgery or hospitalization at UW Health following bike-related trauma weren’t wearing helmets, the health system says.
UW Health today rolled out figures demonstrating this trend, warning “more and more children will suffer brain injuries or death” if they don’t wear helmets while biking this summer.
Over the last two years, 70% of children coming into the American Family Children’s Hospital emergency department due to a bike accident that were admitted or needed an operation weren’t wearing a helmet. Last year, just 22 of the 62 kids hurt while biking were wearing helmets, while in 2023, it was 15 out of 50.
“We must take this opportunity to teach and make changes to protect our children,” said Dr. Michael Kim, medical director of pediatric emergency medicine for UW Heath Kids.
See the release below.
— Republican lawmakers argued a bill to ban using FoodShare to buy soda or candy would improve health, while Dems countered it would target low-income Wisconsinites without necessarily making them healthier.
AB 180 would direct the Department of Health Services to seek a waiver to allow Wisconsin to bar the purchase of candy or soft drinks with FoodShare benefits, also known as SNAP benefits, or food stamps. If the waiver wasn’t granted, the legislation would require DHS to resubmit the request annually until the federal government approved it.
Co-author Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, told the Assembly Public Benefit Reform Committee yesterday the legislation would ensure FoodShare purchases go toward healthy foods, and avoid problems such as obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
Moses said Wisconsinites are footing the bill for FoodShare recipients who also depend on Medicaid for prescription drugs.
“We are paying to feed chronic disease for these people that are on the SNAP program. Then we turn around and we pay for pharmaceutical drugs,” Moses said. “Taxpayers are paying both sides of this problem. Why are we keeping our low-income citizens in a cycle of disease and dependency?”
Rep. Ryan Clancy, D-Milwaukee, said under the bill, some sugary soft drinks could still be purchased through FoodShare benefits, including those that contain milk or cream. He pointed to a chocolate candy-flavored latte he brought to the hearing.
“This would give me diabetes just by looking at it,” Clancy said. “This is allowed under the proposed legislation because despite the ridiculous amount of sugar that it has in it, it also has milk. And anything with even a small amount of milk is okay.”
Clancy assembled a root beer float by adding soda to a cup of ice cream to demonstrate his point.
Chair Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, told Clancy: “Representative, we’re not having a cooking show.”
See more at WisPolitics.
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