ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DRIVEN HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TOWARD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in reshaping both the operational and strategic dimensions of healthcare financial management (HFM). As healthcare systems worldwide face persistent challenges related to cost containment, efficient resource allocation, and sustainable service delivery, AI-driven tools present novel approaches to enhance decision-making, streamline administrative functions, and optimize financial performance. By leveraging machine learning, natural language processing, robotic process automation, and predictive analytics, AI integrates diverse clinical, financial, and operational datasets to provide actionable insights that extend beyond the capabilities of conventional financial frameworks. This study explores the integration of AI into HFM with a particular emphasis on sustainable development, where financial efficiency must align with equitable healthcare access, social accountability, and the long-term resilience of health systems. Empirical findings indicate that AI improves operational efficiency by reducing billing errors, lowering denial rates, and accelerating reimbursement processes, while simultaneously contributing to global sustainability goals by minimizing systemic inefficiencies, lowering administrative overhead, and promoting fair allocation of financial and medical resources. Furthermore, AI applications strengthen risk pooling, budgetary forecasting, and expenditure control, thereby enhancing financial protection for both institutions and patients. Issues of algorithmic fairness, data privacy, and explain ability are particularly relevant in ensuring that AI-supported financial decision-making maintains trust across stakeholders and avoids perpetuating inequities. The convergence of AI and HFM provides a structured pathway for healthcare organizations to achieve fiscal responsibility while advancing the sustainability agenda, ensuring that economic growth, social well-being, and environmental stewardship remain interconnected. By situating AI within the broader discourse on digital transformation in healthcare, this research contributes to the understanding that sustainable development requires not only technological innovation but also robust governance mechanisms that safeguard equity, transparency, and institutional trust.