With ever-growing advances in technology and healthcare, the introduction of AI in the healthcare industry was nothing if not inevitable. With rapid changes in the medicinal field, the pressure to provide efficient, effective, and accessible healthcare is consequently on the rise.

Samantha Foss explains that artificial Intelligence in healthcare not only allows for a customized and personal experience in the office for patients, but it can also reduce the cost of treatment while instilling the latest in health tech- making advanced medicine options available to a range of patients with a range of different diagnoses.

How AI Assists in Healthcare Treatments

AI works beyond human capability, making them an asset in the field of medicine. Artificial Intelligence databases can store unprecedented amounts of data and can analyze them efficiently and with strong accuracy.

These systems are essentially “taught” to look for data patterns in patient files, finding and pulling relevant data or inaccuracies that pique interest in order to create treatment plans, make diagnostic suggestions, and the like. 

AI Benefits

Here are some of the main ways that AI can be beneficial in the world of medicine:

• Instantaneous data collection. One of the most crucial points in patient treatment is access to what is going on in the patient’s body in real-time. With AI, aspects like blood pressure, heart rate, and the like can be read instantly, making for timely intervention during life-threatening circumstances.
• Takes care of the simple stuff. No longer do staff need to worry about the granular things: checking insurance, booking appointments, claims processes and payments. AI tech can efficiently handle bookkeeping so all hands can be on deck for more important matters.
• Time and resource-saving. Due to AI technology becoming responsible for filing, reviewing, and taking care of accounts, as well as reviewing medical history for each time a patient needs treatment, the healthcare industry can expect to save upwards of $200B annually.
• Helps in the research realm. Artificial Intelligence has direct access to an infinite amount of data and studies that are relevant to healthcare research today. Because of this, new and relevant data can be immediately instilled into treatment options without the need of a dedicated research team.
• Keeps physicians happy. There’s no question that those in the healthcare field work hours unlike the rest of the world, and their jobs are far more stressful than the average occupation. The use of AI tech could possibly carry the brunt of their work, allowing for a less stressful environment and more meaningful patient/physician interactions.

Examples of AI in the Field

Most are familiar with AI tech like Fitbits and Apple Watches, which may seem small, but are major parts of AI in healthcare. Some other ways artificial intelligence can be found in the medicinal world are:

• As an early-prevention tool for breast cancer diagnosis.
• As a tool to treat chronic illnesses.
• As a virtual healthcare assistant for those not in immediate need of treatment.
• In detecting signs of lung cancer or stroke.

Though it is highly unlikely that AI tech will replace doctors in our lifetime, it should be expected that they will be integrated into most healthcare arenas in the near future.