Preface

In its letter of allocation for 2024, the Ministry of Health and Care Services (HOD) asked the Directorate of Health (Hdir) to continue the work on facilitating the safe introduction of AI in the health and care services in cooperation with the Medical Products Agency, the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the regional health authorities and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) in an appropriate manner. The Directorate of Health will lead this work. The work will promote the greater use of AI solutions that are safe and contribute to providing healthcare services of equal or better quality and help free up time for health professionals. Among other things, the Ministry asks the stakeholders to draw up a joint plan for which measures should be implemented by which stakeholders in 2024 and 2025 to support the needs of municipalities and health authorities. The Ministry asks the Directorate of Health to work with the other stakeholders to submit its proposal for a joint plan by 1 July 2024 [1].

This document has been prepared in response to the assignment of preparing a joint plan for the health and care services.

The plan was drawn up in collaboration with the stakeholders, especially through the former steering group for the AI coordination project and the newly created AI Council. A draft version of the plan was discussed with professionals from the sector at a separate consultation meeting, and businesses in the sector have provided written input. The plan has also been discussed by the Prioritization Committee (NUIT) and the National eHealth Council in the National council model for eHealth. The Directorate of Health is responsible for submitting the plan.

We would particularly like to thank the resource network “Better use of artificial intelligence in the Norwegian health service” (KIN) for its excellent and constructive cooperation during the preparation of the plan.