Sutter Health uses AI for appointments, but data safety questions arise

Sutter Health will use AI agents for 13 million patient visits each year, aiming for faster service. This is a big step in using technology for healthcare.
By Newsroom | Healthcare, Technology |

Sutter Health, a large healthcare provider, is implementing new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help patients with routine tasks like scheduling appointments and managing prescriptions. This move aims to provide quicker service and easier access to care, addressing patient frustrations with accessing basic health information. While the partnership promises to improve patient experience and reduce the workload for customer support teams, it also brings up new questions about the security of sensitive patient data when AI agents are involved.

AI Agents to Streamline Patient Interactions

Sutter Health is working with a company called Hyro to deploy AI agents across different communication channels, including phone, chat, and text messages. These AI agents are designed to handle common patient requests, freeing up human staff to focus on more complex issues.

  • Goals of the AI implementation:

  • Improve patient access to care and information.

  • Automate routine tasks such as appointment scheduling, prescription refills, and billing questions.

  • Provide faster service and a more convenient patient experience.

  • Scope of the rollout: The system is expected to support 13 million annual visits and serve over 3.5 million patients.

Partnership with Hyro for Advanced AI Capabilities

Sutter Health chose to partner with Hyro based on the company's experience in developing AI specifically for the healthcare sector. Hyro's AI agents are built to provide actionable insights from patient conversations, helping Sutter Health continuously improve its services.

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  • Hyro's Role:

  • Provides AI agents designed for healthcare workflows.

  • Offers a dashboard with real-time analytics on patient trends and AI agent performance.

  • Works with Sutter's AI governance council to ensure safe and responsible information delivery.

  • Why Hyro was selected: The company has a proven track record in the AI patient communication space, and its agents are designed to automate routine inquiries.

Security Concerns with "Agentic AI"

The use of "agentic AI," which refers to AI that can take actions and make decisions, introduces new security considerations beyond traditional data breaches. Experts suggest treating these AI agents as untrusted users and implementing strict security measures.

AI Agents for Patient Engagement: A conversation with Sutter Health and Sierra - 1

  • New AI Risks:

  • Beyond simple data leakage, agentic AI could potentially be misused for more complex abuse.

  • Strict security protocols are needed to manage AI agents effectively.

  • Proposed Security Measures:

  • Zero Trust Approach: Treat AI agents as inherently untrusted, regardless of their integration level.

  • API Gateways: Prevent AI agents from directly accessing databases. All queries should go through controlled gateways.

  • Detailed Logging: Log not just the actions of the AI agent, but also its reasoning process. This is crucial for understanding how decisions are made and for identifying potential issues.

Balancing Empathy and Efficiency

Sutter Health aims to use AI to enhance, not replace, the empathetic care provided by its staff. Discussions highlight the importance of measuring the success of AI beyond just operational efficiency, considering how it impacts the patient's emotional experience.

  • Key Discussion Points:

  • Ensuring AI amplifies empathy.

  • Measuring success using metrics beyond operational improvements.

  • AI's Potential:

  • Cut costs and reduce administrative workload.

  • Improve patient and member experiences.

Broader Ecosystem and Future-Proofing

Sutter Health's approach involves building a comprehensive ecosystem that includes AI tools, partnerships, and governance structures. This strategy aims to create a future-proof healthcare system that can adapt to evolving patient needs and technological advancements.

  • Strategic Vision:

  • Integrating multiple platforms and partnerships.

  • Establishing strong governance for AI deployment.

  • Patient Expectations:

  • Patients expect fast and convenient access to healthcare services, similar to their experiences with online shopping or banking.

  • AI is seen as essential to bridge the gap between these expectations and current healthcare access.

Expert Analysis

According to security insights, "Agentic AI Requires Zero Trust." This means that AI agents should be viewed with suspicion, and their access to systems and data must be tightly controlled. The advice is to "Implement Strict API Gateways" to prevent direct database access and to ensure "Comprehensive Logging of Agent Reasoning" for full transparency.

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Conclusion

Sutter Health's adoption of Hyro's AI agents represents a significant step in leveraging technology to improve patient engagement and operational efficiency. The initiative addresses long-standing patient frustrations with accessing healthcare services. However, the deployment of agentic AI introduces complex security challenges that require a rigorous "zero trust" security posture, including controlled access points and detailed auditing of AI decision-making processes. The success of this rollout will likely depend on effectively balancing the benefits of AI-driven efficiency with the imperative to safeguard sensitive patient information and maintain patient trust.

Sources Used:

  • The Agentic AI Dilemma: Securing Sutter Health’s Patient Engagement Rollout (securityarsenal.com): Provided insights into the security risks associated with agentic AI and recommended security measures like zero trust and API gateways.

  • Sutter Health Teams Up with Hyro to Revolutionize Patient Communications through AI | Vitals (vitals.sutterhealth.org): Detailed the partnership between Sutter Health and Hyro, highlighting the goal of improving patient communications and access to care, and the benefits of Hyro's real-time analytics.

  • Sierra at HLTH 2025 (sierra.ai): Mentioned a discussion between Sierra and Sutter Health about AI's role in healthcare, focusing on amplifying empathy and measuring success.

  • How Sutter Health Uses AI Agents to Handle Patients’ Scheduling, Refills & Billing Questions - MedCity News (medcitynews.com): Explained how Hyro's agents automate routine inquiries and discussed Sutter Health's choice of Hyro due to its track record, also mentioning Hyro's collaboration with Sutter's AI governance council.

  • Sutter Health adopts AI agents for patient self-service - Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis (beckershospitalreview.com): Announced the partnership between Sutter Health and Hyro for AI agents across voice, chat, and SMS, outlining the specific functions to be streamlined and the scale of the rollout.

  • Sutter Health AI: Patient Scheduling, Refills & Billing Automation - World Today Journal (world-today-journal.com): Described the partnership as strategic, emphasized Hyro's specialization in healthcare AI, and discussed the benefits of AI-powered patient communication beyond mere convenience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is Sutter Health using AI for patient services starting in 2024?
Sutter Health is using new AI agents from a company called Hyro to help patients with simple tasks. These AI agents will handle things like scheduling appointments, refilling prescriptions, and answering billing questions through phone, chat, and text messages.
Q: What are the main goals of Sutter Health using AI agents for patients?
The main goals are to make it easier and faster for patients to get care and information. Sutter Health wants to improve how patients access services and reduce the time they spend waiting for help with routine matters.
Q: How many patients and visits will Sutter Health's AI agents support?
The new AI system is planned to support about 13 million patient visits every year. It will serve over 3.5 million patients, making it a large-scale implementation.
Q: What are the security risks with Sutter Health using AI agents for patient data?
Using AI agents, especially those that can take actions, brings new security risks. Experts warn that sensitive patient data could be at risk if strict security measures are not followed, like treating the AI as an untrusted user.
Q: What security steps are recommended for Sutter Health's AI agents?
Security experts suggest a 'Zero Trust' approach, meaning the AI agents are not automatically trusted. They also recommend using API gateways to control data access and keeping detailed logs of the AI's actions and decisions for safety.
Q: Will AI replace the human touch in patient care at Sutter Health?
Sutter Health aims to use AI to help its staff provide better care, not replace them. The goal is to free up human staff for more complex issues and ensure AI helps amplify the empathy patients receive.