What We're Reading: AI in Hospitals; Funding to Fight Outbreaks; Increasing Vaccinations in Michigan

Hospitals Moving Toward AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be coming to a hospital near you. More than half of healthcare organizations have indicated they plan to leverage AI within 5 years, according to Healthcare IT News. Organizations feel that AI will have the most impact on population health, clinical decision support, patient diagnosis, and precision medicine. Currently, less than 5% of organizations surveyed are already using AI technology. The largest barrier to adopting AI is the feeling that the technology is still developing, followed by the fact that there is an unproven business case for using AI.

Lawmakers Call for Funding to Fight Outbreaks

A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers are asking for $300 million for a fund that would be used to combat infectious disease outbreaks. Morning Consult reported that while the White House’s budget does call for such a fund, there are concerns that cuts to the National Institutes of Health could undermine efforts to battle infectious diseases. A majority of the lawmakers who signed the letter are from Florida, which was hit hard by the Zika virus.

How Michigan Increased Vaccinations

After cracking down on vaccination waivers, the number of Michigan children who did not get a fourth round of immunizations for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis dropped from 22% to 15% in just 1 year. According to Kaiser Health News, the state tightened up the rules for getting an exemption and obtaining an immunization waiver. Now, families have to consult with local public health departments before they can get a waiver for not vaccinating their children. According to Michigan Health and Human Services, the new rule doesn’t take away choice, it just ensures people are educated.