How AI Is Transforming the Patient Digital Experience in Healthcare

Here are key takeaways from top expert interviews on For The Better podcast, where our CEO Ben Cash leads conversations with healthcare marketing leaders on AI’s impact. Learn how organizations are leveraging AI to safeguard patient confidentiality, align internal teams, and drive measurable results. Plus, explore real-world applications that are setting new standards in healthcare marketing.

How AI Is Reshaping Healthcare Marketing

AI is already transforming healthcare marketing, optimizing workflows, enhancing patient engagement, and reshaping digital discovery. Chatbots are reducing friction in patient interactions, AI-powered personalization is boosting campaign effectiveness, and predictive analytics are helping teams refine strategy in real time. However, while AI brings efficiency, human oversight remains critical—particularly in content creation and decision-making.

Aaron Mauck, Managing Director and Healthcare Strategy Lead at Endeavor Management, cautions against over-reliance on AI-generated content, noting that AI should complement, not replace, human expertise:

“Don’t expect it, however, to replace the humans that need to look over content, need to look over whatever is getting produced, and ensure that the end product really matches what consumers actually want.” 

Even when AI-driven insights are useful, they often lack the strategic depth required to drive meaningful engagement: 

“We kind of know when things are just generated from AI. The insights are banal, right? So it's fine. It's not great,” he adds.

For healthcare marketers, AI should be seen as an enhancement, not a substitute, for strategic decision-making.

AI and Patient Data: Compliance Must Come First

As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare marketing, ensuring patient confidentiality and HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable. AI can process vast amounts of data, but organizations must use it responsibly.

On For The Better podcast, Alan Shoebridge, Associate Vice President of National Communication at Providence, discussed the intersection of AI and compliance in the episode The Practice and Potential of AI for Healthcare Marketers. He explained how Providence uses AI to improve efficiency while safeguarding patient data.  

“I use a tool that we have called Providence Chat… it’s all self-contained, the information does not go out on the internet or past Providence.”

To maintain compliance, healthcare organizations should choose HIPAA-compliant AI vendors, avoid AI tools that store PHI, and establish a structured data governance framework. Shoebridge also emphasized the importance of aligning AI initiatives with business strategy:

“There’s a roadmap where people have to go through… does this fit in with our business case as an organization?”

By prioritizing governance, healthcare marketers can innovate responsibly while safeguarding patient trust.

Aligning Teams for AI-Driven Digital Transformation

Integrating AI into healthcare marketing takes more than new technology—it requires cross-functional alignment. Marketing, IT, and compliance teams must collaborate to ensure AI implementation is both effective and compliant.

In Navigating Change, Aaron Mauck, Managing Director & Healthcare Strategy Lead at Endeavor Management, discussed the challenges of digital transformation in healthcare marketing. He highlighted how competing priorities can create roadblocks to AI adoption:

“You don’t design by committee. This is not a democracy. If you have a situation where there’s a lot of competing demands around what’s going to go on the website, what’s going to go on the app, you’re going to run into challenges.”

To avoid inefficiencies, organizations should establish an AI governance model with key stakeholders. Alan Shoebridge shares how Providence successfully implemented this approach in The Practice and Potential of AI for Healthcare Marketers. 

“We’ve been on a journey… building out a robust governance process… with representation from across the organization in various areas.” 

A structured, cross-departmental review process ensures AI is integrated strategically while maintaining compliance and alignment with business goals.

Real-World AI Applications in Healthcare Marketing

Across the industry, organizations are seeing measurable results from AI. Prisma Health, for example, has successfully implemented AI chatbots like Hyro to manage patient inquiries, leading to increased patient acquisition and engagement.

In Unlocking the Potential of Digital Transformation in Healthcare on For The Better, Aaron Mauck highlights how AI-powered automation is driving efficiency.

“Anything that can reduce clicks, anything that makes workflows easier, anything that can take anything off somebody’s plate, especially on the provider side or administratively, is going to be essential on that side.”

AI is also helping healthcare marketers better manage data and analytics. Many organizations struggle with too much unstructured data and not enough actionable insights. Mauck points out that while data is plentiful, its effective use remains a challenge.

“We have both too much data and unclean data… The problem is not having data. We have it. The problem is having the right kind of data and getting it into the right hands at the right time.”

Balancing AI Investments with Budget Constraints

As AI adoption grows, healthcare marketing teams face increasing pressure to innovate within limited budgets. In Navigating Change, Aaron Mauck describes the challenge of balancing AI investments with operational efficiency.

“Digital teams are being asked to do a lot more with a lot less. More areas of ownership, more external threats, more channels, more entry points for consumers. At the same time, less people, less budget, less time.”

To maximize ROI, healthcare organizations must take a measured approach—starting with fundamental digital infrastructure before over-investing in AI. Many health systems still struggle with core patient experience technologies, such as online self-scheduling, CRM utilization, and patient portal optimization. 

Mauck cautions that AI should not divert attention or resources away from these critical areas:

“A lot of budget is going into certain kinds of AI tools that may or may not bear fruit at the expense of existing tools that have never been fully utilized.”

A cost-conscious AI strategy means ensuring foundational technologies are fully optimized before layering in advanced AI solutions. By prioritizing measurable improvements in patient acquisition, retention, and operational efficiency, healthcare marketers can make smarter, more sustainable technology investments.

The Future of AI in Healthcare Marketing

AI is here to stay. Healthcare marketing teams that adopt it strategically—while ensuring compliance, governance, and operational alignment—will lead the way.

In The Practice and Potential of AI for Healthcare Marketers, Alan Shoebridge encourages marketers to embrace AI with a curious, hands-on approach.

“If you’re skeptical, I don’t blame you—but try it out. The only way to learn is to try it out.”

Next Steps: Future-Proofing Your AI Strategy

A strategic, well-governed approach to AI adoption will yield the greatest impact, ensuring compliance while optimizing team alignment and efficiency.

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For a deeper dive into AI’s impact on healthcare marketing, listen to our CEO Ben Cash on For The Better Podcast. Listen, like, and subscribe!