10 Examples of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
In recent years, AI has become one of the most exciting technologies in many fields, and healthcare is no exception. It can quickly and accurately go through large amounts of data, be it information or images, and act as an essential support in the diagnostic process. But the application of this technology doesn’t end there, and, odds are, we are only going to become more creative with its usage in the future. We’ll take a closer look at some of the use cases of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Image Analysis
As a digital tool, AI is best suited for already digital information. Prime examples of this type of data in healthcare are electronic health records, holding vast amounts of protected health information, including past patient scans such as MRI, CT, and X-Ray scans.
While doctors and clinicians spend years educating themselves and developing the ability to quickly and accurately analyze medical images - healthcare artificial intelligence can speed up this process up to 1,000 times. By analyzing data faster and more accurately, AI alleviates the tasks of medical professionals and allows them to focus on care delivery or getting some much-needed rest.
Drug Development
Developing a new drug is costly and time-consuming, especially since most drugs don’t get past the human and animal testing phases. Research teams spend countless hours and resources trying to get through all the blood, tissue, and proteins to find the right combination to create a drug.
Drug development is a perfect example of artificial intelligence in healthcare: this technology’s ability to analyze large quantities of data in a process less prone to error and with no burnout risk makes it a perfect alternative to traditional means of developing new medicine.
Improved Medication Adherence
Medication non-adherence is a serious problem within the healthcare industry. Patients often fail to follow through with their treatment plan for numerous reasons, resulting in increased healthcare costs. To that end, patients managing chronic conditions and failing to comply with what the doctor ordered results in 125 000 deaths and $310 billion annually.
Healthcare AI can check patient history, see previous treatments, and see which patients are less likely to follow through with prescribed therapy. This software won’t solve the issue in and of itself. Still, it will provide clinicians with valuable information as to which patients require additional support in keeping up with their treatment plan.
Automation of Administrative Tasks
Medical chatbots are AI software that, well, chats. They can give patients basic information regarding scheduling, working hours, or information about basic procedures. Artificial intelligence in the medical field isn’t limited to health-related topics. Instead, it can decrease the workload of support staff and speed up business workflow.
Consequently, this technology takes over mundane administration, allowing doctors and support staff to focus on more complex tasks, effectively saving time and cost while improving patient engagement.
Data Management and Analysis
Protected health information is stored in electronic health records. However, most of this data is unstructured and unavailable, making it almost impossible for medical professionals to decipher.
Data management is a prime example of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The software can store large amounts of data, structure it, and give out helpful information that the medical professional would require a lot more time to get.
Personalized Medical Approach
While some conditions and therapies are universal, some individuals don’t respond well to these universal therapies. They require a more personalized approach to reach optimal clinical results and reduce hospital stays. That is where healthcare artificial intelligence comes in.
By feeding the program a specific patient’s information and history, it can come up with multiple treatment options and act as a clinical decision support system for the care provider. Doing so can steer the clinician into prescribing medication that will be the most effective, improving clinical results and reducing treatment times.
Virtual Nursing Assistants
Healthcare AI has yet to come to a point where it can act independently. For now, we can utilize it as a support system that assists doctors, but we mustn’t rely on it to work as a doctor. AI apps can bridge patients and care providers between scheduled appointments.
Patients can use virtual assistant AI software for 24/7 availability, although there are concerns about letting this technology function without human oversight. They can ask questions about their health, but they serve a purpose beyond administrative questions directed at chatbots. Still in conception, we’re far from letting these nursing assistants assist without human oversight.
Robot-Assisted Surgery
Examples of artificial intelligence in healthcare vary in fields and complexity. While some assist patients or care providers, some just go through large quantities of data. One could say that the pinnacle of current AI applications is robot-assisted surgery.
We can feed AI robots with 3D cameras and surgical instruments with information about surgical procedures. This robot then makes minimal incisions, reducing the invasiveness of procedures, speeding up the operation, and assisting surgeons in the operating room.
Healthcare Marketing
Knowing the market means knowing the customer. Due to all the previously mentioned abilities of AI in healthcare, it can focus on patients and zero in on their needs and wants. Effectively, it means that AI isn’t only useful in a clinical setting. Instead, it can help healthcare professionals and companies with marketing.
Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies are sometimes perceived as dishonest when marketing their products. AI can address this issue specifically: by analyzing lab results, patient behavior, and internet use, it can come up with targeted messaging. AI in healthcare can then go over patient likes and dislikes and market the product by addressing patient needs and wants, coming up with a message of care or, rather, health care.
We wouldn’t speak of these things outside the realm of sci-fi some twenty years ago. Today it is a reality, and we can only imagine what the future holds. Let’s wait and find out.
