Providence, a health system based in Renton, Washington, has developed its own version of ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot. The decision came from the company’s desire to allow employees to use the technology without having to rely on personal, unmonitored computers. ProvidenceChat was rolled out to its 120,000 staff members on December 1, with the aim of providing a secure and private platform for AI interactions.
Providence’s Chief Information Officer, B.J. Moore, explained, I’ve heard a lot of health systems say we’re going to block OpenAI and ChatGPT on our networks. My approach is the genie’s out of the bottle. People are going to use it regardless. So how do you proactively build safeguards in place to allow them to do that? With this in mind, the team at Providence began developing a private version of the platform that does not learn from user prompts or share data with Microsoft or OpenAI. Additionally, Providence has the ability to monitor the questions being asked while making it transparent to users that their interactions are being recorded.
The introduction of ProvidenceChat has been met with enthusiasm from employees, who have found value in its capabilities. The most common inquiries have been related to IT and coding, writing assistance, general questions, proprietary data, and public knowledge about Providence. The system has also facilitated discussions about implementing certain programs within the health system, such as the integration of specific coding systems into the Epic EHR software.
Since its launch in December, over 3,400 staff members have accessed ProvidenceChat, asking a total of 82,000 questions. The majority of users work in IT, followed by human resources and clinical support. While employees are encouraged to ask healthcare-related questions, Providence advises against making clinical decisions based solely on the chatbot’s answers. The purpose is to demonstrate the capabilities of the technology while enabling Providence’s backend team to analyze the prompts and identify potential areas for improvement or integration into the Epic product.
Providence’s development of its own chatbot reflects a proactive approach to harnessing the power of AI while maintaining control over data privacy and security. By creating a private platform, the health system has not only allowed employees to leverage the benefits of generative AI but also gained valuable insights into their usage patterns and requirements. With ProvidenceChat, the organization is paving the way for customized solutions that cater to the specific needs of its staff and improve overall efficiency and effectiveness.
