Data Governance and Responsible Use of AI
Rural health systems must establish clear processes to oversee, monitor, and evaluate AI tools to ensure they are implemented responsibly.
Governance
AI governance refers to the oversight and guardrails in place to ensure that AI tools are used in a way that is safe, responsible, fair, and effective, as well as in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Some rural healthcare systems are expanding existing governance structures in place for other health information technology tools to include AI tools, while others are developing new AI governance committees.
Governance committees include different healthcare leaders, including executive leadership (C-suite staff), healthcare providers, information technology staff, frontline staff, and, in some cases, patients.
Governance committees have different roles, including:
- Assessing and approving AI tools prior to implementation
- Monitoring of AI tool use and performance over time
- Coordinating with AI tool developers and vendors
- Identifying and mitigating risks
- Conducting regular reviews of AI tools
- Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
Rural health system approaches to governance continue to evolve. For example, some rural healthcare systems are implementing a "look back" process where they are retrospectively reviewing AI tools that were adopted before a formal governance structure was in place.
Responsible Use of AI
Responsible use of AI in healthcare requires a commitment to ongoing oversight and governance of AI solutions. Key considerations include:
Human-led decisions – AI should serve as a support tool, and a human provider must review and confirm all information and findings.
Local accuracy checks – Rural healthcare organizations must confirm AI tools work accurately for their specific community and population needs.
Transparency and trust – Healthcare organizations must be transparent about when and why AI is used and protect patient privacy and security.