About This Session
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming healthcare, offering unprecedented opportunities to improve diagnosis, treatment, and efficiency—but it is also introducing new and poorly understood patient safety risks. From silent automation errors and over-reliance on AI recommendations to hidden biases and unpredictable system behavior, these technologies challenge traditional safety frameworks that were designed for human-driven care. This presentation will examine the emerging safety risks associated with AI across clinical workflows, highlight critical gaps in current policies and oversight, and explore why existing safety approaches may be insufficient in the age of adaptive, opaque, and continuously evolving systems. Most importantly, it will provide a forward-looking roadmap to help patient safety leaders proactively define safeguards, implement practical risk mitigation strategies, and shape governance structures that ensure AI improves care without compromising safety, trust, or accountability.
Learning Objectives
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By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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Describe key patient safety risks associated with the integration of AI into clinical decision-making and healthcare workflows.
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Identify specific failure modes and risk scenarios that may emerge when AI is implemented in real-world clinical environments.
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Apply practical strategies and governance principles to proactively mitigate AI-related risks and strengthen patient safety within their own organizations.
Speakers
Raj Ratwani, PhD, MPH
Vice President, Scientific Affairs, MedStar Health, Director, MedStar Health Center for Human Factors in Healthcare
Raj Ratwani, PhD, is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at the MedStar Health Research Institute, Director of the MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare, and a Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. He is a national leader in patient safety, healthcare technology, and the safe use of artificial intelligence in clinical care. His work focuses on designing systems and digital tools that align with how clinicians and patients actually think and work. Dr. Ratwani’s research has influenced healthcare policy and frontline practice, has been published in leading journals such as JAMA and Health Affairs, and is frequently featured in national media.
Lucy Bocknek, MSOT, CAPS
Human Factors and Safety Scientist
Lucy Bocknek, MSOT, CAPS, is a clinical human factors and systems safety scientist at MedStar Health, specializing in translating human factors engineering into practical tools that improve care delivery and patient safety. She leads human factors initiatives across the MedStar Health system and with external partners. She has overseen over 150 projects supporting efforts to enhance safety, usability, and performance across multiple healthcare departments and service lines.
