U.S. hospitals weigh AI gains against rising digital costs
ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES — As United States health systems race to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to expand access and offset workforce shortages, leaders are increasingly grappling with a hard question: how to balance innovation with rising costs.
In a report from Becker’s Health IT, the University of Iowa Health Care is using the tension in shaping a more disciplined approach to technology investment, one that many hospitals and clinics nationwide are watching closely.
For Joshua Wilda, chief information and digital officer at the Iowa City–based academic health system, technology has become inseparable from the organization’s mission of “changing medicine, changing lives.”
But he cautions that digital transformation must strengthen patient relationships rather than simply add complexity or expense.
“Technology can be an enabler, but technology has a cost behind it,” Wilda said during an interview on the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast.
“How do those costs affect the cost of healthcare? How do we drive down those costs?,” he added.
Redesigning inpatient care with AI
Like many providers across the U.S., University of Iowa Health Care is responding to staffing shortages and rising patient expectations by rethinking care models.
Inside the hospital, the system is rolling out inpatient care redesigns supported by AI, sensors, and tele-nursing, with a focus on preserving patient-provider intimacy.
“How can we use our four walls and bricks and mortar with sensors, with AI, with tele-nursing, and some other things that we’re doing to really encapsulate that patient care and deliver more of that patient-provider intimacy, but through our technology,” Mr. Wilda said.
Smoother patient journeys through digital tools
Digital tools are also being used to reduce friction in the patient journey, including wayfinding solutions that help patients navigate large hospital campuses.
“The first thing they have to figure out is how do I get to where I need to be? Where do I need to park?” he asked. By easing those stress points, providers hope patients can focus more on care and recovery.
For hospitals and clinics nationwide, especially those serving rural populations, these efforts reflect a broader shift toward using technology to stay connected with patients between visits.
“One of the major things that I’m still hyper focused on is patient experience and how do we connect our patients to us when they’re not here,” Wilda said.
Partnering for scale under financial pressure
Financial pressure is forcing health systems to scrutinize digital investments more closely, reducing duplicative tools and prioritizing solutions with clear operational value. In Iowa, partnerships have emerged as a key lever.
Through its Epic Community Connect program, the system extends technology infrastructure to critical access hospitals, allowing smaller providers to share resources and gain scale.
“How do we pool our resources together, not from a command-and-control standpoint, but from leveraging all of our experiences,” Wilda said.
Yet expanding digital reach also raises risk. Cybersecurity, in particular, has become a systemwide concern for providers large and small.
“I do feel that’s our biggest risk these days,” Mr. Wilda said.
As AI and automation become central to care delivery, healthcare leaders across the U.S. are being reminded that innovation must be paired with vigilance and a clear-eyed view of its true cost.
