AI governance: Maximizing benefit and minimizing harm for patients, providers, and health systems (IHI, 3 September 2025)

Summary

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming health care, yet practical guidance for its governance remains limited – particularly for organizations without dedicated AI teams or infrastructure. To address this gap, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Leadership Alliance convened an AI Accelerator, bringing together leaders from 10 diverse health care organisations to move beyond high-level theory and identify actionable strategies for responsible and effective AI implementation.

Content

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in the health care ecosystem, governance structures must evolve to ensure that its use is safe, effective, and responsible. From pre-deployment oversight to post-marketing monitoring, health systems face the challenge of managing not just the technology itself but also its organizational, ethical, and clinical implications.

The conversations around AI governance across various health care organisations reveal a critical need for guidance that is practical, scalable, and centred on patient outcomes. Following are four key takeaways from the Leadership Alliance AI Accelerator that health systems can apply when developing or refining their AI governance structures:

1. Take a broad, integrated governance approach.
2.  Build governance with scalable capabilities and clear accountability.
3. Prioritise patient outcomes over model performance.
4. Prepare for regulatory gaps and build internal oversight.