Kim Downey:

Part of my work supporting physicians involves facilitating connections, both among physicians and with others who assist them. In this vein, I introduced Dr. Wael Saasouh to Lisa Scardina. Our discussion touched on AI, with Dr. Saasouh sharing positive ways we can use technology and Lisa offering her perspective on AI, which also stands for Appreciative Inquiry. How we connect and have conversations matters! We talked about hope and finding common understanding. Dr. Saasouh and Lisa shared some excellent takeaways, including the importance of not feeling like you have to learn everything, which is impossible, and how essential it is to “find your people.”

Here’s to the benefits of Artificial Intelligence and Appreciative Inquiry!

Wael Saasouh, MD:

The utility of artificial intelligence is rising exponentially. Use cases seem to be at least doubling by the day, and some of these have direct applicability to the health care system. Some ways AI can be leveraged for the benefit of clinicians include:

Direct recognition. Gamified reward systems and hyper-realistic virtual events to foster motivation and a sense of community.

Employee education opportunities. Personalized skill advancement based on the identification of particular skills and targeted educational opportunities.

Fostering collaboration. Recognizing areas of low morale, establishing interest-based connections among clinicians, and utilizing methods from high-functioning collaborators.

Research and academic advancement. Automating routine tasks, accelerating data collection and analysis, and analyzing large datasets to uncover patterns, refine research questions, and improve clinical outcomes.

However, clinicians should not be required to produce more just because technology is available. AI is intended to enhance the work environment, recognize efforts, and provide tools for more effective job performance, creating a supportive and collaborative health care system.

We have to figure this out, and we can! An inspiring example is how our podcast episode came to be. Lisa and I didn’t know each other before, but through the efforts of one person, Kim, we connected and now we are inspired and have the potential to inspire others to make both small and large changes.

Wisdom I’ve learned over the years

Healthy pride. It’s OK to be proud of achievements, but never at the expense of morals and decency.

Purpose. Everyone needs something that gives them a sense of purpose.

Material possessions. Neither lack nor abundance will significantly contribute to a sense of pride and purpose.

Self-improvement. It’s beneficial to pursue self-improvement and look up to successful people, but the noise from social media can make this process seem daunting and overwhelming. Content creators often add to this noise in their quest for more content.

Balanced altruism. Altruism is essential in medicine, but too much of it can lead to neglecting oneself and one’s personal life.

Challenging the “”tough it out and keep going” mentality: It’s important to realize that it’s never over, and we can always seek improvement and support.

We can combat burnout and disconnection through thoughtful initiatives and personal wisdom. Let’s continue to inspire and support each other in both small and significant ways.

Parting thoughts

Simple gestures matter. A kind word and a smile can make all the difference. This rings true in physician-patient interactions, from both sides, and among team members at all levels.

Avoid creating unnecessary conflict. There is room for good clinical care, compassion, fair compensation, career satisfaction, and accountability.

Unified effort. We need to collaborate toward common goals, rather than isolating like-minded individuals and pitting them against each other.

Lisa Scardina:

Several years ago, inspired by a leadership program provided by a mentor, I completed the Appreciative Inquiry in Positive Business and Social Change program at Case Western Reserve University. The original premise was enticing and based on primary research at the Cleveland Clinic: teams that ask positive, strength-based questions achieve higher performance. Appreciative Inquiry focuses on positive idea generation over negative problem identification.

The program was enlightening and radically changed my approach and perspective, both professionally and personally. Appreciative Inquiry, as a methodology, is a hybrid approach bringing together the best of organizational management, development, leadership, and positive psychology. Inspiring high performance starts with how we think. Patterns of thinking can often be stuck in habitual patterns that focus on scarcity, fear, and negativity. Change the questions, and different answers appear.

As we explore the impact of technology and artificial intelligence in health care, ensuring a focus on the human experience of these transformational tools and approaches is needed. While automation increases, how teams adopt new processes significantly affects whether investments in new technology and tools will yield positive results.

With my current team, when we look at the organization-wide performance scorecard, we intentionally ask questions like: What’s going well? What are the bright spots in this week’s or month’s performance? How might we enhance our culture and improve employee experience? What are we learning from some of our data-driven experiments that can enhance the experience of the physicians and organizations we work with?

Conversations like this create space for employees to lean in, engage, aspire, and dream. Appreciative Inquiry creates the structure and space to ask ourselves to dream about what is possible. If we never take the time to dream, then those aspirations will surely never happen!

On a personal note, as a wife and mother of three adult sons, I have worked to shift my mindset from worry and fear to one of possibility based on the strengths that are present and have already been demonstrated. Getting into a mindset of possibility begets more possibility.

I am so grateful for Professor David Cooperrider and the faculty at Case Western for their work and dedication to creating positive social change and giving us the tools to make those dreams a reality. And to my cohort from the program, whom I am still in touch with, thank you for continuing to inspire me with the ways you make a positive difference and share those experiences through authentic relationships across our group.

Artificial intelligence needs appreciative inquiry!

Wael Saasouh is an anesthesiologist. Lisa Scardina is a health care executive. Kim Downey is a physician advocate and physical therapist.