JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The leaders of health-care institutions are grappling with rising expenses and surging demands for medical services. In response, they are increasingly embracing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to alleviate operational burdens and to efficiently improve health care quality

Objective:

This paper aims to explore the leadership behaviors instrumental in steering health-care entities toward becoming AI driven. Furthermore, we will explore and map the potential enablers and barriers encountered in AI transformation within health-care organizations.

Methods:

In this study we conduct a review of empirical articles from 2015 to June 2023 to discern the leadership required for establishing AI-ready health-care organizations.

Results:

Our analysis underscores the critical role of leadership across four functional domains essential for successful AI transformation. These domains encompass strategy, technology, organizational culture, and operations. Leaders must uniquely blend technical, interpersonal, and adaptive capacities within the four functional domains. These competencies are crucial for facilitating AI transformation while navigating the intricate interplay of regulatory, organizational, and technological contexts in the health-care sector.

Conclusions:

This framework and the early insights into the essential competencies and leadership approaches that underpin successful AI adoption and implementation in health-care settings lay the groundwork for designing future leadership training programs. Equipping health-care leaders with these essential skills can empower them to navigate the disruptive impacts of AI within the health-care sector. This anticipatory upskilling holds the potential to foster a more seamless integration of AI advancements in health care, ultimately driving improved patient outcomes and organizational effectiveness.