Karen Blum to lead AHCJ’s new AI and Patient Safety beat

Karen Blum will expand her role as AHCJ’s health beat leader to now cover AI and Patient Safety, guiding members on how artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare and its implications for patient safety.
AI technology is increasingly used in clinical settings for tasks such as drafting medical notes, analyzing imaging, and supporting clinical decision-making, but it raises concerns regarding accuracy, bias, oversight, and potential harm.
The aim of Blum’s new beat is to help journalists to better understand and report on AI’s trends and impacts on patient safety.
Special focus areas for AHCJ’s reporting will include issues like data security, diagnostic errors, and how AI might affect equity in patient safety.
Unintended consequences of AI in documentation and coding for electronic health records, particularly concerning insurance coverage and reimbursement, will also be examined.
Support from the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation has been acknowledged for aiding this important initiative.