AI Integration in Healthcare: Build vs. Buy? With: Harvey Castro
Harvey Castro, Partner and Medical AI Advisor at Aexa Tech, discusses the strategic decision hospital systems face when integrating AI: whether to build custom solutions or buy from vendors. He explains that resource availability, cost efficiency, and the need for customization drive these decisions. Some hospitals benefit from vendor solutions due to scalability, while others save costs by building tailored tools, such as ambient scribes, using open-source models. Castro highlights the importance of involving healthcare professionals and patients early to ensure adoption and success. He also explores federated learning as a path for hospitals to train models collaboratively while preserving data privacy.
Episode Contents:
About the Guest
Harvey Castro is a physician, entrepreneur, and AI strategist helping healthcare organizations evaluate and implement AI solutions with a focus on safety, cost, and patient-centered design. He is a Partner and Medical AI Advisor at Aexa Tech, guiding healthcare systems on AI strategy and innovation.
Key Takeaways
- Hospitals must weigh cost, resources, and customization in AI adoption
- Federated learning allows hospitals to collaborate without sharing raw data
- Human oversight ensures AI outputs align with local needs and cultures
Transcript Summary
Should hospitals build or buy AI tools?
It depends on resources, cost, and the degree of customization needed. Vendors can be cheaper for scalability, but open-source and in-house builds can reduce costs and fit local needs.
What role does customization play?
Hospitals with unique patient populations may need tailored AI solutions to ensure clinical adoption.
How does federated learning help?
It enables hospitals to train models collaboratively, sharing insights without exposing patient data, while keeping human oversight central.
More Topics
- AI in Patient Care
- AI in the Healthcare Industry
- AI and Medical Innovation
- Healthcare Ethics and Policy
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AI and Healthcare—with Mika Newton and Dr. Sanjay Juneja is an engaging interview series featuring world-renowned leaders shaping the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine.
Dr. Sanjay Juneja, a hematologist and medical oncologist widely recognized as “TheOncDoc,” is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation and a rising authority on the transformative role of AI in medicine.
Mika Newton is an expert in healthcare data management, with a focus on data completeness and universality. Mika is on the editorial board of AI in Precision Oncology and is no stranger to bringing transformative technologies to market and fostering innovation.