Artificial intelligence in geriatric health care
Artificial intelligence in geriatric health care
Health Affairs; by Esther S. Oh, Peter M. Abadir, Joseph Grogan, Ravi Gupta, Anne Ollen, Daniel Polsky, Peter Weems, Phillip Phan; 8/20/25
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies are quickly integrating into the US health care system. Unlocking their full potential for older adults—the fastest-growing demographic in the country—and rural populations facing health access and support crises is essential. On May 1, 2025, the Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory (represented by coauthors Oh, Abadir, and Phan) and the National Institute on Aging hosted a summit on the future of geriatric medicine and AI, focusing on the challenges and effects of implementing AI-based technologies. We identified policy gaps and opportunities to support the fair and efficient use of AI technologies for older adults [including:]
- Promise and perils of AI for older adults
- Reimbursement pathways for AI technologies
- Enhancing data access, data quality, and interoperability
- Digitalizing rural settings and improving access to specialist care
- Encouraging trust and community engagement
...The most pressing need is a predictable Medicare reimbursement pathway in which AI-based technologies are not an “add-on” cost but rather a catalyst for productivity... In sum, we believe that if developers and regulators want older adults to adopt AI technologies, they need to think proactively about the stage-of-life needs, co-morbidities, and functional and mental capacity of the older adult demographic—in short, the 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) of an age-friendly health system.