Accenture sees big health IT roles for AI and emerging technologies in 2020

Accenture has a deep bench when it comes to healthcare expertise. And the consulting giant keeps a keen eye on healthcare information technology and the trends surrounding this IT. This is why Healthcare IT News turned to Accenture for its view of trends in health IT this year and beyond. Dr. Kaveh Safavi, senior managing director, head of global health practice, at Accenture, offers his analysis and predictions, focusing on AI and emerging technologies. Accenture recently polled healthcare executives on trends they see on the rise in 2020. More than two-fifths (41%) of respondents ranked AI as the technology that will have the greatest impact on their organization in 2020 and beyond. “In 2019, there was a fundamental shift in how AI is understood,” Safavi said. “People started to realize that AI is best used when augmenting the work of humans, rather than substituting them. This will have a tremendous impact on how AI is utilized in 2020, and I see it becoming a self-running engine for growth across healthcare, helping clinicians make better decisions and extending their reach.”