The interview partners
Prof. Dr. Patrick Da-Cruz is Professor of Business Administration and Health Management at the Faculty of Health Management at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU) and Academic Director of the MBA programme in Leadership and Management in Healthcare.
Before joining HNU, Mr. Da-Cruz worked for renowned strategy consultancies in the pharmaceutical/healthcare sector and held management positions in healthcare companies in Germany and abroad.
For almost 25 years, Prof. Dr. Volker Nürnberg has been involved in all aspects of healthcare. He began implementing concepts for statutory health insurance companies in 2001 (as managing director at AOK and, until 2011, at BKK) before taking over as authorised signatory at the international consulting firm Mercer in 2012, where he headed the Health Management division. From 2017 to 2022, he was a partner at one of the largest auditing and consulting firms, BDO. As an expert on digital innovations at the G-BA, he always has his finger on the pulse. Since 1 September 2022, he has been a partner at the internationally renowned strategy consultancy BearingPoint, where he heads the health division, and since 1 May, he has been a member of the Ethics Commission at the Federal Ministry of Health.
Applications in the field of artificial intelligence offer enormous potential across industries and functions. What role does artificial intelligence currently play in occupational health management?
Prof. Dr. Volker Nürnberg: At present, the use of AI applications in occupational health management still plays a minor role. A few digital service providers in the field of occupational health management are using artificial intelligence – but the topic is still in its infancy. Various legal and ethical framework conditions also need to be clarified before it can be used across the board. Some countries are already much further ahead in this respect. Medium-sized and large companies tend to be more willing to experiment.
How is artificial intelligence currently changing occupational health management – where do you see the greatest potential for the next five years?
Prof. Dr. Volker Nürnberg: For me, there is no question that artificial intelligence will dramatically change occupational health management – it will make it significantly better. On the one hand, artificial intelligence can offer employees individualised and precise services, for example after an assessment. This results in less wastage and tailor-made prevention services. This applies to behavioural prevention. In terms of circumstances, employers are given new tools to evaluate data more accurately and almost in real time. At the same time, artificial intelligence can be used to make forecasts, e.g. for sick leave. This assists with personnel and budget planning. In addition, these figures can be used to tailor interventions more effectively to target groups. This means that conspicuous areas (e.g. departments), employee groups (e.g. younger people, women, etc.) and locations or job profiles (e.g. shift workers) can be identified and then addressed in a manner appropriate to the target group. This should also help to improve the return on investment of occupational health management measures and thus efficiency. It also makes it much easier to identify fundamental sources of danger within a company. Many companies employ people from different linguistic backgrounds. In such cases, it is particularly important to make relevant health information available to all employees, including in their native language where necessary. AI-supported translation programmes can provide valuable support here.
The topic of mental health has come into focus across all industries in recent years. The mental health of employees is a key factor in their performance and general well-being. It is not uncommon for mental stress in the workplace to lead to burnout, stress, depression and other illnesses, which in turn can result in long periods of absence. Early detection is of central importance here. Can AI systems detect psychological stress better and earlier than managers or the human resources department?
Prof. Dr. Volker Nürnberg: Absolutely. There are now initial AI solutions that solve mental health problems. For example, there is a chatbot that provides help on selected psychological topics. In addition, an avatar solution with ‘systemic training’ is currently on the market that comes very close to a real human conversation partner. The advantages are unlimited availability and cost-effective counselling. Given the waiting times for an appointment with a psychotherapist, this topic is particularly important.
How can we make the leap from a broad range of occupational health management services for the entire workforce to individualised occupational health management?
Prof. Dr. Volker Nürnberg: Well, many companies already offer a broad range of occupational health management services, but far too few people use them. What's more, they are often not used by those who could benefit most. In this context, individualisation allows us to use different topics, media and approaches (nudging, i.e. small ‘pushes’, incentives or gamification) to increase the usage rate and ensure an evidence-based approach.
What risks do you see in the use of AI in occupational health management, for example with regard to data protection or surveillance?
Prof. Dr. Volker Nürnberg: The use of algorithms to control data-based measures and decisions brings enormous advantages for personnel planning. However, algorithmic management poses risks to the health of employees: Surveillance, pressure to perform and constant availability can be risks that also have a negative impact on employee acceptance. The collection of personal data, hacker attacks or lack of security are always a danger that cannot be ruled out 100%. Especially when it comes to health, human interaction plays an essential role, even in a corporate context. Despite the use of artificial intelligence in occupational health management, employees should therefore continue to have the opportunity to meet regularly with occupational health managers in person at their company. In this way, supported by artificial intelligence, OHM services tailored to the respective working environment can be developed.
Thank you very much for talking to us!
The content and statements presented in the interviews reflect the perspective of the interviewees and do not necessarily correspond to the position of the editorial team.
