An early pipeline framework for assessing vendor AI solutions to support return on investment.

This Perspective proposes four early tests for vendor AI: alignment with a health system's priorities, an executive sponsor accountable for adoption, an impact and value case, and a multidisciplinary risk assessment.

The value case begins with the problem and the current baseline. It examines alternatives, including whether AI is needed, and defines a measurable benefit against the full cost of validation, deployment, and operation. The sponsor owns the work of bringing a selected tool into clinical or operational practice.

The framework is a proposal for making better decisions before purchase. It does not claim that a selection process alone proves return on investment. Local validation, adoption, monitoring, and auditing continue after the decision.

The paper is published open access by the journal. We link to it rather than reproduce it here.