AI’s early gains in gastroenterology are showing up in some of the most workflow-heavy parts of endoscopy — polyp detection, documentation, triage and scheduling.
For ASCs, where margins are tight and throughput matters, AI’s upside is significant, but so are the costs and implementation hurdles.
Benjamin Levy III, MD, gastroenterologist at University of Chicago Medicine, told Becker’s that he expects AI to make a major impact on GI care in ASCs and hospitals nationwide, particularly in colonoscopy quality and lesion detection.
“Computer-aided detection technology systems that help detect polyps hopefully will become even better at finding significant polyps that are small, flat or difficult to see due to the prep quality,” he said. “Hopefully AI will help us to identify even more sessile serrated adenomas.”
Dr. Levy is also watching how AI could change what happens immediately after a procedure, especially as documentation requirements become more complex.
“This amazing new technology allows gastroenterologists to describe polyps during procedures via ambient listening and speeds up the process of writing accurate procedure reports,” he said. “In the future, hopefully AI will help gastroenterologists identify Barrett’s esophagus and gastric cancer during EGDs.”
On the operational side, Dr. Levy predicts AI may help ASCs reduce unused capacity by filling last-minute cancellations through smarter scheduling software, which is a persistent pain point for ASCs trying to maximize room utilization without overburdening staff.
The promise of AI extends beyond the procedure room, but leaders say the biggest near-term question for independent centers is financial:
Louise McCarthy, RN, executive director of nursing and administrator of Clearwater Endoscopy Center, said AI has the “potential to improve scheduling efficiency, revenue cycle performance and clinical documentation,” but warned that the cost of integration will be a real challenge for independent centers.
“Staying current will increasingly require strategic adoption rather than broad implementation,” she said.
That selective approach is becoming more common as ASCs weigh whether an AI tool will truly reduce staff burden, accelerate room turns or improve reimbursement.
Clinicians also anticipate AI playing a larger role in how practices manage demand, especially as staffing remains constrained.
“AI is increasingly positioned to reshape the front and back end of care, from intelligent referral triage and risk stratification to decision support for surveillance intervals, peri-procedural planning and resource allocation,” Sumant Inamdar, MD, interventional gastroenterologist at Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, told Becker’s.
“Rather than relying solely on manual workflows and reactive scheduling, practices will move toward data-driven triage models that prioritize the right patient, in the right setting, at the right time. This shift will also accelerate outpatient and ambulatory expansion, while requiring tighter coordination across physicians, anesthesia, nursing and digital systems to safely manage growing demand with finite staff,” he said.
Omar Khokar, MD, managing partner of Illinois GastroHealth in Bloomington, told Becker’s that he is looking toward “AI models predicting peri-procedural risk and identification of patients safe for ASC versus hospital.”
Some leaders see AI’s long-term disruption arriving less through a single tool and more through how technology intersects with consolidation. Gurneet Bedi, MD, gastroenterologist and advanced endoscopist at Clearwater-based GastroFlorida believe AI’s disruption will come through the “intersection of AI, private equity and hospital alignment, and how these forces reshape physician autonomy.”
“As consolidation accelerates, patients are increasingly gravitating toward independent practices that are accessible, efficient and physician-led rather than embedded in complex health systems,” he said. “AI will further highlight operational inefficiencies and reward organizations that can move quickly and adapt. Health systems that partner thoughtfully with independent practices, rather than defaulting to acquisition or control, will be better positioned to meet patient expectations and deliver sustainable value.”
