Healthcare is about to enter a critical period where teams are expected to accomplish more with less, patients have higher expectations, and new technologies are developing. Finding more intelligent solutions that relieve staff burden and produce more meaningful patient encounters is an opportunity for leaders.
Few voices cut through the clutter of conflicting agendas and hype like Scott Collins, CEO and co-founder of Impulse Strategic Solutions. Scott has worked in healthcare IT for more than thirty years. He has created businesses, given system advice, and experienced several “the next big thing” hype cycles. His viewpoint is grounded on pragmatism—what genuinely benefits patients, physicians, and the organisations that assist them.
In this conversation, Scott shares candid insights on the realities of AI adoption, the hidden cost of IT burnout, and why trust—not technology—is the most important currency in healthcare partnerships.
Having worked in healthcare IT for thirty years, you have witnessed the rise and fall of several technological trends. In comparison to previous turning points you have witnessed, how would you characterise the current condition of healthcare?
SC: We seem to be in the midst of a fresh renaissance. Although AI is not new, its introduction into the healthcare industry is generating a lot of interest and testing. Now, the most important question is: how do we use it?
Many hospital IT executives I speak with are enthusiastic about AI but haven’t considered the fundamentals, such as whether they even employ data scientists. AI is not a plug-and-play solution. To make it valuable, you need the people, the processes, and the infrastructure. It needs preparation, security, and vigilance, just like any other technology.
What do you think is now impeding health systems the most—budget, burnout, or something else entirely?
SC: Burnout is a real problem, particularly in the IT industry. The lack of employees is at an all-time high. Initially, IT departments assisted medical professionals within the hospital’s four walls. These days, that same workforce must also provide direct patient support due to telemedicine and patient portals, and the user population has increased dramatically.
Burnout is a genuine and serious issue for doctors and nurses, but it also affects IT professionals. Health institutions must figure out how to accommodate a quickly growing digital environment without hiring an endless number of people.
What does meaningful connection actually look like today, when staff are overworked and patients are overloaded with digital tools?
SC: The patient population determines this. Consider baby boomers, many of whom are in their senior years. While some of them are tech-savvy, many are not. I have personally witnessed it with my own parents. As their IT support, I have assisted them with everything from setting up their first computer to accessing patient portals.
Automation is crucial, but human interaction cannot be completely eliminated. Nobody likes to use a computer while using a phone, especially among older generations. Automation and genuine human touchpoints must be balanced in engagement.
Instead than adding yet another platform, how can leaders streamline the experience for both patients and clinicians?
SC: I’m not sure if the word “simplify” is appropriate. Education is the true need. Many patients may not know how to use the resources that are available to them.
Your doctor knew you personally, recalled your last visit, and spent time with you when I was a child. Nowadays, you rarely, if ever, spend more than five minutes with your doctor. In order for patients to actually access and benefit from what is available, engagement must change, whether through telehealth or digital technologies, but it must be backed by improved education.
You’ve seen hype cycles in action before. What aspects of AI in healthcare now feel different—or not?
SC: Take a peek at Epic’s UGM this year—AI is all the rage. However, a large portion of what is being referred to as “new AI” is simply repackaged functionality.
The issue isn’t the hype. The problem is that the data and findings AI generates won’t be useful without personnel who are proficient in using the technologies. This feels familiar because humans solve problems, not just technology.
Where do you think AI is already demonstrating its value to medical professionals and patients?
SC: I prefer to refer to this as “intelligent automation.” Automated patient portal support is one example. The volume of patient contacts regarding scheduling, refills, and portal logins is too much for most IT staff to handle. Through IVR or chatbot-driven help, intelligent automation may handle those chores, enabling patients to promptly resolve issues and freeing up staff to concentrate on higher-value needs.
It makes better use of the limited worker capacity, increases engagement, and decreases irritation.
Before approving an AI project, what enquiries should CIOs or CMIOs make?
SC: Let’s start with the fundamentals: cost, security, and, above all, patient effect. Enquire:
- Will patient care be enhanced by this?
- Will it make procedures better?
- Does it produce genuine value?
- What impact does it have on personnel levels?
- Losing a job is the biggest worry. Leaders must reassure employees that AI should redistribute work rather than replace it.
- Improving care and procedures is the aim, not merely reducing the number of employees.
How do you strike a balance between the urge to innovate and the demand to reduce costs?
SC: Automation is essential. Finding ways to increase revenue, whether through more effective billing or lowering revenue leakage, is balanced with automating procedures so you don’t have to continually recruit staff. Financial sustainability is important, but patients must come first.
What recommendations would you provide health leaders in 2025 regarding choosing vendors?
SC: Look for a trustworthy partner. Examine their references, learn about their goals, and determine whether they are merely trying to sell you a product or are genuinely interested in your success. Instead of a transactional vendor, you want a true partner.
What, in spite of the present difficulties, gives you hope for the future of healthcare?
SC: The industry is still driven by people. AI and technology are significant, but people are the ones who develop and maintain them. The human element is ultimately what propels healthcare forward. That won’t be altering anytime soon.
Scott Collins reminds us that the future of healthcare will be influenced more by the people who use it than by ostentatious instruments at a time when it seems to be caught between hype and suffering. Education, trust, and the empowerment of both staff and patients are the key components of engagement, not the addition of additional platforms.
His message is clear as systems consider the benefits and drawbacks of AI: people are still at the center of care, but technology can help.