How to Evaluate a Clinical AI Vendor: A 6-Point Checklist

Evidence on a comparable population, workflow fit measured in clicks, data rights spelled out in the contract, a named clinical owner, a defined off-ramp, and total cost including integration - the six checks that separate durable deployments from expensive pilots.

The context

Consider the current numbers: aidoc is preparing an FDA submission for a generative system that would draft radiology reports across more than 100 diseases (our coverage).

Meanwhile, rock Health has stopped treating AI as a differentiator in its market analysis because virtually every funded company now claims it.

The playbook

Start small and instrument everything: a single service line, a named executive owner, and a weekly metric review beat any big-bang rollout. Put clinicians in the selection room before the contract is signed, not after. Negotiate data rights and exit terms while you still have leverage. And publish your results internally - programs that show their numbers keep their funding.

The bottom line

As with every wave before it, the technology is necessary but not sufficient - workflow, incentives, and trust decide the outcome. Follow the category daily on our AI & Diagnostics page.