Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care
According to experts, a day will come when computers would be used to do most of the jobs, and healthcare is not an exception. Even in today’s world, computers, and machines are used in almost every walk of life. Advanced applications of technology featuring machine learning, artificial intelligence and automation have greatly affected the medical industry including hospitals and insurance companies. The impact is of a more positive nature when compared to other industries. 86% of companies are using AI in health care, including life science companies, and healthcare companies. It is estimated that these companies could spend upwards of $54 million by 2020 on AI.
Artificial intelligence in medicine can and is being used to manage records and miscellaneous data. AI can be used to re-format, trace, and store data which will provide faster access. This type of data management is one of the most widespread uses of AI in healthcare.
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It is also used to do repetitive jobs like analysing X-rays, CT scans and various other tests, along with routine tasks. These tasks can be done faster by machines than humans, as there is little to no variation in the pattern of the job.
As one of the main advantages of artificial intelligence is analysing data, things like reports and notes of a patients file, clinical expertise, and externally conducted research can be analysed by AI to select the best way to treat a patient. This can open up opportunities for customised treatments for individuals which might have been difficult in the past due to insufficient data management. In layman’s terms, AI can be used for treatment designs.
Digital consultation is also possible using artificial intelligence. There is an app called Babylon which is based in the UK and it uses AI for medical consultations. Common medical knowledge along with patients’ personal medical history is used to offer recommended actions. Symptoms are reported to the app, and the app uses speech recognition technology to compare the symptoms to a database of diseases, and illnesses.
Rather new and quite unheard-of use of artificial intelligence in health care are virtual nurses. This is mainly used by a start-up company Sense.ly, which developed Molly – the virtual nurse. The program of this virtual nurse employs machine learning to help patients by following up on treatments, and what to do with doctor’s visits.
Medication management can also be streamlined by using artificial intelligence. AiCure is an app developed by the National Institutes of Health, which is used to monitor the health of a patient. The app uses the front camera of smartphones to check if the patients are taking their medicines regularly.
AI can be of great use in developing new medicines. The primary way of making new medicine is to have clinical trials which take years and cost a lot of money. With the use of AI, the entire process can be completed much faster. Recently, during the Ebola outbreak, AI was used to scan medicines and find a way to redesign them to fight the disease.
AI can be used for precision medicine, which can be used to inform people of their potential health risks before they even happen. Genetics can be used along with AI scans of the body to spot eventual cancer and vascular diseases. Mutations can also be predicted by using AI in health care.
Digitising the healthcare system would make accessing data faster, and save a lot of valuable time. The best example of using AI in such a way can be found in the Netherlands, where 97% of all healthcare bills are digital. This can be used later on to create a treatment chart, and can also be used to find out any mistakes during treatment, and inefficiencies in the workflow.
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