Marwan Ibrahim Haji Nasser, the Chairman and CEO of Tadawi Healthcare Group, has raised concerns regarding troubling technological practices that may arise with the expanding use of artificial intelligence (AI) within healthcare institutions in the region. He emphasized that the lack of clear regulatory frameworks could lead to unjustified increases in treatment costs and insurance claims.
He explained that AI has become a crucial component in the management and operation of healthcare systems globally, particularly in areas such as medical records, billing, and revenue management. While these technologies offer significant opportunities to enhance care quality and streamline procedures, they also pose risks if misapplied.
Nasser pointed out that some intelligent systems designed to maximize documentation might include unnecessary analyses, tests, or diagnostic procedures in treatment pathways, which aren’t always based on precise medical necessity. This can inflate final bills, increasing treatment costs without clear clinical justification.
He added that the challenge lies not in the technology itself but in how it’s utilized. Algorithms are often designed to meet operational or financial objectives, which can lead to systemic issues if these systems are not subject to thorough regulatory review and oversight by qualified medical professionals.
In this regard, he noted that several international experiences have shown that AI systems initially developed to improve efficiency and revenue have led to unusual patterns in billing and medical coding when applied to real data. This underscores the necessity for a governance framework before these technologies are widely adopted.
Nasser stressed that AI should remain a tool for enhancing healthcare quality and safeguarding patients, not a hidden means to increase revenues. He insisted that transparency in this domain is an ethical responsibility before it becomes an administrative requirement.
He called on health authorities and regulatory bodies in the country to establish a clear institutional partnership between care providers, technology companies, and regulatory agencies. This collaboration should aim to create proactive legislation governing the use of AI in billing and treatment pathway management, ensuring mandatory human medical oversight of these systems’ outputs.
In closing, he affirmed that the future of AI in healthcare should not be measured by the speed of algorithms or revenue generation but by its ability to build trust, safeguard patients, and ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system as a whole.