The Inference Line: How to categorize AI tools in healthcare
I was asked recently to give a presentation at a university about the topic “AI in Healthcare“. I agreed and started digging into topic, re-reading research I’ve done on the topic, thinking back to some of my recent consulting engagements with Healthcare AI companies, and thought about how we’ve implemented AI in the clinic I own. It was then that I realized a big challenge in putting this presentation together.
“AI in healthcare” gets used to describe an AI scribe, a movement-tracking app, and a platform that autonomously adjusts a patient’s insulin dose — as if they carried the same risk, the same regulatory burden, and the same stakes if something goes wrong. They don’t.
In this episode, I break down why “AI in healthcare” is too vague to be useful and introduce a practical framework for separating administrative tools from those that make clinical inferences. The episode matters for clinicians, healthcare leaders, compliance teams, regulators, and founders because the difference between a scribe and a decision-support or autonomous-action tool changes the risk, oversight, and validation required.
What we cover in this Episode:
- Why the phrase “AI-powered healthcare” can describe very different tools, from ambient scribes to computer vision to clinical decision support.
- What a clinical inference is (a judgment about a patient’s condition, risk, or care needs)
- I introduce the “inference line,” a five-question framework for evaluating whether a tool makes a clinical inference.
- The two broad categories for AI Healthcare Tools
- How two products marketed similarly, such as AI scribes, can have very different compliance and clinical risk profiles depending on whether they merely transcribe or also flag clinical issue
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My Books
- From Clinician to Something More: A Healthcare Professional’s Guide to Business, Leadership, and Life Beyond the Clinic
- From Clinician to Owner: A Healthcare Practice Owner’s Field Guide
- Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare
For More:
Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new technology, innovative service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. Grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare. Or, hire Rafi to speak at your organization or event.
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Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi) is a healthcare consultant, speaker, and host of he Better Outcomes Show. He helps healthcare startups, SaaS platforms, and organizations craft clear positioning, humanize the patient experience, and go to market effectively. He’s the author of Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare and principal at Rehab U Practice Solutions. His work on Telehealth has been discussed in Forbes, and he’s advised on projects ranging from digital health product launches to multi-million-dollar healthcare transformation initiatives.
Today, Rafi helps innovative healthcare companies like technology startups, platforms, SaaS companies & innovative healthcare organizations develop effective positioning strategy and business development plans through his consulting work. He also leverages his experience as a professor and academic to speak and train on the topics around humanizing the healthcare experience & healthcare innovation. In addition, Rafi also owns and operates ProActive Rehabilitation & Wellness, a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic treating patients with musculoskeletal pain.
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Are you building something innovative in healthcare—like a digital health product, service, or platform that’s aiming to truly improve the patient experience?
I help healthcare startups, SaaS platforms, and forward-thinking provider organizations develop clear positioning strategies, identify high-value offers, and build go-to-market plans that actually resonate with both users and buyers.
Whether you're launching a new product, scaling an existing service, or navigating digital transformation, I bring 12+ years of experience across clinical operations, healthcare innovation, and strategic development.
How I help:
- Clarify your product/service positioning so customers “get it”
- Align your offer with real market needs
- Build a Digital Health Roadmap to scale your healthcare organization effectively
- Support business development with industry-informed strategy
I’ve consulted on projects from multi-million-dollar state initiatives to early-stage product launches. My work’s been featured in Forbes, and I also speak at healthcare events and conferences on topics like innovation, digital health, and humanizing care. I also speak and train at healthcare conferences, events, and organizations on topics related to technology-enabled care, healthcare innovation, healthcare positioning, and humanizing the healthcare experience.
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