U.S. hospital and health system IT leaders project increased adoption of and spending on Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions over the next one to three years.

The findings come from a survey of CIOs and IT executives, conducted by Healthcare IT Leaders, a national health IT consulting and talent solutions firm.

When asked to rate the current level of AI adoption in their organizations, 36% of respondents indicated that AI solutions were fully or partly implemented, while 25% said they had started AI pilot projects.

As for future projects, 64% said they planned 1 - 3 AI projects in the next 12 to 24 months, with 27% considering new AI initiatives. Only 8% said they had no current plans for AI solutions.

Hospitals and health systems will invest more in AI over the next three years, according to the survey. Two thirds of respondents (66%) indicated plans to increase spending by 25% or more on AI projects.

Healthcare leaders face a myriad of barriers to AI adoption. The executives highlighted limited budgets, data and security concerns, and a lack of skilled AI professionals as factors that might hinder AI programs.

Ethical considerations are another hurdle to adoption. 49% said they do not yet have formal processes in place to address concerns around bias and fairness in AI algorithms.

"CIOs that we speak with understand the potential of AI to rapidly transform healthcare delivery. But they also highlight that these are early days with challenges to address," said Healthcare IT Leaders President Ben Hilmes.

The full report, The State of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Adoption in Healthcare is available for free download from Healthcare IT Leaders.