Artificial Intelligence making Healthcare ‘Intelligent’

What is an AI and how can it make our lives better

Artificial intelligence as the name implies is a form of intelligence made or produced by human beings. It is a piece of technology that can learn on its own without the need for human input. It is a constantly evolving written code that works on the principles of deep learning and neural networks. Using this code it can interact with its environment and respond appropriately just as humans would. It takes a decision based on the vast amounts of data, running simulations over and over in order to evolve and rewriting its own code.

The more data an AI receives, the better its decision and analysis get just as humans learn with experience. This presents opportunities for real-world applications in various industries or business functions like in the case of Supply Chain Management where the AI can predict the required materials to be dispatched based on past experiences, the Automobile Industry where AI can design cars that are much more efficient based on simulation, and in the Healthcare Industry where threats could be eliminated or prevented before they even arrive. AI can predict a probability of an outbreak if it is allowed access to a sufficient amount of medical and research data.

There are various problems in the healthcare industry like high expenses, errors in diagnosis, and lack of sufficient data that can be solved with the implementation of AI in healthcare.

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

• Expenses in healthcare: On an average, a person from the US spends about $10,348 annually for healthcare (Source). This is quite high a number for the middle-income group, resulting in overall financial constraints. Using AI based personalized-recommendations, based on the user’s daily activities, can help develop a preventive healthcare system rather than a reactive system. Thus, reducing visits to doctors and physicians resulting in lower medical costs.
• Errors in diagnosis: Diagnostic errors are a major concern, yet they remain a relatively understudied and unmeasured area of patients safety. According to a study by the World Health Organization, all across the globe misdiagnoses contributes to approximately 7 million children deaths each year. These unfortunate deaths could have been prevented using AI for better and accurate diagnosis. A recent use of AI was seen in Pathology, the medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids such as blood and urine, as well as tissues. Machine vision and other machine learning technologies can enhance the efforts by providing better accuracy and precision with minimal errors as compared to the traditional methods of pathologists with microscopes.
• Insufficient data: A patient’s medical history plays an essential role in the correct diagnosis. Having information like any known allergies, blood type, and previous operations handy can speed up the process of treatment. An AI could potentially eliminate this problem by maintaining the data in the cloud which can be accessed by all hospitals or medical centers, thus, reducing data fragmentation.
• Predictive analysis: If data was stored, analyzed and interpreted there could be a way to recognize patterns and prevent outbreaks, widespread of diseases and various other such situations. If a person is about to fall sick due to their current diet, or daily activities the AI can predict these situations and recommend the required changes. In long term, this analysis could help develop patterns and suggest countermeasures to prevent such diseases.

The future of artificial intelligence in healthcare

• Analyzing tests, X-Rays, CT scans, data entry, and other mundane tasks can all be done faster and more accurately by AI. Cardiology and radiology are two disciplines where the amount of data to analyze can be overwhelming and time-consuming.
• AI’s have been created to analyze data — notes and reports from a patient’s file, external research, and clinical expertise — to help select the correct and customized treatment path.
• Apps can be used to give medical consultation based on personal medical history and common medical knowledge.
• A digital nurse can help people monitor the patient’s condition and follow up with treatments between doctor visits.
• Wearable health trackers monitor heart rate and activity levels. They can send alerts to the user to get more exercise and can share this information with doctors (and AI systems) for additional data points on the needs and habits of patients.

The world is transforming into a digital era. Everyone is trying to be connected 24/7. In this rush, health could easily take a back seat, but what if we have someone or something that can help us monitor our health, recommend the appropriate changes in our lifestyle. An AI could just serve that purpose and eliminate the potential risks to human life. This can help a person live a happier, healthier life.

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