Dr. Stephanie Lahr is president of Artisight, a virtual care technology and services company with an uncommon play – robust use of artificial intelligence in its telemedicine platform.
The company offers an AI-powered smart hospital platform designed to enable virtual care models, quality improvement and care coordination. The platform is built on a foundation of AI-enabled sensors that facilitate computer vision, voice recognition, vital sign monitoring and indoor positioning capabilities.
We asked Lahr to consider where virtual care and AI are at today, and then look to 2025 to see what may happen in the year ahead. Not surprisingly, she has much to say about AI.
Q. So, you say in 2025 AI will transcend the hype cycle. What do you think the technology and its uses will look like in healthcare?
A. 2025 will mark the moment when AI in healthcare transcends the hype cycle and demonstrates measurable value through practical applications that improve clinical workflows. Healthcare organizations will embrace a more sophisticated vision of AI that combines virtual nursing capabilities with ambient sensing technologies, creating an intelligent care environment that anticipates patient needs while supporting – not replacing – clinical decision-makers.
This evolution will manifest first in routine patient monitoring and workflow optimization, where AI systems will demonstrate clear ROI by reducing nurses’ administrative burden and enhancing their ability to focus on direct patient care. Virtual nursing platforms will advance beyond simple task automation to become intelligent assistants that proactively identify potential patient deterioration and support real-time clinical decisions.
The healthcare industry will establish clear metrics for evaluating AI’s impact on clinical outcomes, operational efficiency and patient experience. Organizations will move beyond measuring basic utilization statistics to tracking sophisticated indicators like prevention of adverse events, reduction in clinical burnout and improvements in care coordination – creating a new standard for demonstrating AI’s concrete value in healthcare delivery.
Q. In 2025, you say there will be significant developments in computer vision and sensor integration. Please describe this evolution of their use.
A. The integration of computer vision and advanced sensor technologies into care settings will evolve methodically, following a course of intentional, measured progression. Leading health systems will implement these technologies strategically, starting with virtual observation and patient safety applications before expanding into more complex clinical scenarios.
This careful approach will build trust through transparency while ensuring systems adapt effectively to each unique care environment.
Advanced sensor networks will transform patient rooms into intelligent spaces that continuously monitor vital signs, movement patterns and environmental conditions without requiring direct patient contact. This ambient intelligence will enable early detection of patient deterioration, fall prevention and automated documentation of patient status, creating a more comprehensive and accurate clinical record while reducing the documentation burden on nursing staff.
Healthcare facilities will develop sophisticated governance frameworks for these technologies, establishing clear protocols for data privacy, algorithmic transparency and clinical oversight. These frameworks will address not only technical performance but also ethical considerations around patient consent, data ownership, and the appropriate balance between automation and human judgment in clinical care.
Q. You see some more evolution, this time in specialty care. How will this landscape change in 2025?
A. Impact will become particularly evident in specialty care delivery in 2025, as AI-enabled virtual platforms mature beyond basic telemedicine into sophisticated remote presence systems. The combination of virtual nursing support and ambient intelligence will enable specialists to meaningfully extend their expertise across geographic boundaries.
This evolution will fundamentally improve care access in rural communities while maintaining high standards of clinical quality and patient experience.
Advanced virtual care platforms will recreate the nuanced aspects of in-person specialty consultations through high-fidelity sensors, real-time physiologic data integration and AI-enhanced communication tools. These systems will enable specialists to perform detailed patient assessments, guide local care teams through complex procedures, and maintain continuous oversight of patient progress – effectively eliminating the barriers of physical distance in specialty care delivery.
The democratization of specialty expertise through these technologies will catalyze new care delivery models that blend virtual and in-person care based on clinical needs rather than geographic constraints. Healthcare organizations will develop hybrid care protocols that optimize the use of specialist resources while ensuring consistent quality across all care settings, creating a more equitable and efficient healthcare system.
Source : Healthcare IT News