AI has morphed our healthcare system

The world as we know it today is so different from the world we grew up in. There were no smartphones, tablets and social media. We had to stand in line to make a call at the phonebooth or fight with our siblings to use the rotary dial phone.

Today, in this technological age, it’s hard to keep up with what’s up and coming. One such technological advancement is Artificial intelligence or AI. Artificial intelligence is the use of computers and technology to imitate intelligent behaviour and critical thinking similar to that of a human being.

Artificial intelligence is used in cars and other transportation vehicles, smart homes, cities and infrastructure, online shopping and advertising, cybersecurity, food and farming, public administration and services like weather forecasting and in the healthcare industry.

Artificial intelligence in medicine has changed the healthcare industry completely. It uses machines to search for medical data and uncover ways to help improve health outcomes and patient experiences. Thanks to these advancements in technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming an integral part of modern healthcare.

The challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic created for the healthcare system proved that AI- supported technologies were the reason COVID-19 front line workers were able to go head to head with the virus.

Currently, the most common role for AI in the medical industry is clinical decision making support in terms of quick diagnosis, treatments, medications, mental health and patient needs. AI is also used in medical imaging to analyse CT scans, x-rays and MRI findings that a human radiologist might miss.

At this point in time, AI has become an integral part of the healthcare system and rightly so.

Here are some of the benefits and applications of AI in medicine —

Medical Imaging-  AI is often considered to be a radiologists best friend. AI plays a prominent role in medical imaging and can be just as effective as a human diagnosis. It helps in spotting early signs of disease, helps keep track of the mountain load of images a radiologist has to go through and can use the patient’s history to make a diagnosis. Isn’t that marvellous?

Personalised disease detection, diagnosis, treatment and informed patient care- Artificial intelligence machines can be used to detect illness and make accurate diagnosis of patients. This is especially helpful in the emergency room where a diagnosis needs to be made immediately. AI models can learn and retain preferences, making it customisable from person to person in real time. Another great function of AI is that it has the potential to provide patients with around-the-clock access to an AI-powered virtual assistant that could answer questions based on the patient’s needs. A trained AI machine can help cut down research time by giving doctors and medical professionals valuable search results backed by evidence-based insights about treatments and procedures.

AI can help streamline tasks- Unlike humans, AI never needs to sleep. It can be used for appointment-scheduling, translating clinical details and tracking patient histories. AI technology is enabling the healthcare industry to  streamline and organise tasks. It also saves the hospital staff hours of work. AI is especially beneficial when it comes to the procedures involving patient history, insurance and payment.

Error reduction- There is some evidence that AI can help improve patient safety and reduce the chances of errors in patient care and diagnosis.

With the help of artificial intelligence physician stress is reduced- The most significant contributor to burnout in the medical field is the overwhelmingly large patient load and the sheer nature of the profession. However, as artificial intelligence has permeated into the healthcare industry, it provides great assistance to the professionals and alleviates a lot of their stress.

Provides real time data and saves time- A critical component of diagnosing and addressing medical issues is getting accurate information in a timely way. With the help of AI, doctors and other medical professionals can leverage immediate and exact data to save lives and make correct diagnosis’. As more vital processes are automated, medical professionals have more time to assess patients and focus on major problems instead of administration work.

Cardiology- Artificial intelligence was first tested in cardiology. It was first used to detect atrial fibrillation of the heart. The ECG machine runs on AI. Artificial intelligence is used to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients and oftentimes makes better diagnoses than traditional scales. The interpretation of pulmonary function tests uses AI.

Endocrinology- Continuous glucose monitoring gives diabetic patients real-time interstitial glucose readings and helps them monitor their blood glucose levels. You’ve probably seen dozens of people walking around with these black and white patches on their arms. These monitoring devices are connected to your smartphone. Using AI they help you regulate and monitor your glucose levels.

Nephrology- Artificial intelligence is vastly used in nephrology- to predict the decline of glomerular filtration rate in patients with kidney disease and to detect the risk of developing kidney disease.

Gastroenterology- The use of endoscopy and ultrasound procedures in gastroenterology is the norm. Did you know that these machines are based on the technologies of artificial intelligence?

Neurology- AI can help detect seizures among patients who suffer from epilepsy using AI powered  detection devices. Wearable sensors can also help quantitatively assess gait, posture and tremors in patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease.

Although artificial intelligence has greatly helped the medical field, like everything in life it does come with its limitations. Here are some limitations that we must be aware of —

1. AI technology does need human interference and monitoring. We can rely 100% on machines and technology.
2. AI does not understand social cues and variables, making human intervention and monitoring extremely important.
3. Due to machines taking over human tasks, a surge of unemployment has occurred. Why would you pay money to a person when a machine can do it for free?

Will doctors be replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

One of the greatest concerns of medical professionals, when it comes to the adoption of intelligent medical technologies, is the fear of a dehumanisation of medicine.  Doctors will most likely not be replaced by artificial intelligence. While smart medical technologies exist, it’s there just to support the physician in order to improve patient care, not replace the doctor altogether.

Conclusion —

In light of the ChatGPT storm, the tide is turning in favour of artificial intelligence. The implementation of artificial intelligence in healthcare is promising and rapidly evolving. AI is growing into the public health sector as well.

This new era of AI-augmented practice has an equal number of sceptics as well as proponents. Artificial intelligence in medicine has already changed healthcare practices everywhere and will continue to do so, even if you don’t know it yet.