Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising numerous industries and is playing a robust role in growth and development across the world. It is creating meaningful user experiences and influencing our daily lives in many ways. Popular instances of the use of AI include online shopping, social media exchanges, mobile applications and e-mail services. A particularly important field in which AI is growing rapidly and creating an impact is healthcare. AI is routinely providing significant inputs to contemporary medical practitioners and doctors in clinical decisions.
Use of AI in healthcare presents numerous benefits. It allows healthcare professionals to access web based diagnostic resources that produce faster and better outcomes (Rice, 2019). AI is particularly helpful when patients report multiple symptoms characteristic of different conditions. In such instances, AI provides data-based feedback to aid early diagnosis and treatment. AI based healthcare systems continually update data to work in real time and provide the most relevant and accurate input to medical practitioners.
At a smaller scale, AI based telehealth tools are being used at home to treat patients and decrease the frequency of hospital readmissions. These tools effectively prevent high-risk situations by persistently monitoring patient metrics and promptly reporting deviations to practitioners. Timely notification of high-risk variables to practitioners helps patients get immediate care while avoiding the costs associated with hospitalisation (Sharma, 2021).
Further, AI technologies are poised to provide healthcare access to underserved populations (Pradhan, John, & Sandhu, 2021). Unequal access to healthcare services is a serious problem that AI assisted medical techniques can alleviate (Guo & Li, 2018). They can compensate for shortage of physicians and healthcare providers and improve healthcare outcomes in underserved geographies. AI has already enhanced the healthcare management options available to patients in rural communities in many developing countries (Seiler, 2019).
On the flip side, there are concerns that the experiential services provided by AI enabled healthcare systems lack the human touch, which is a crucial component of healthcare service. The human touch is central to treating patients because touch is a potent healing tool (Olsen, 2021). Countless studies champion the importance of touch; empathy and compassion in holistic medical care and raise concerns regarding the efficacy of digital wellness.
Not withstanding its disadvantages, AI is helping medical science and healthcare management progress in unprecedented ways. It is providing doctors and practitioners the much-needed tools to build efficient healthcare ecosystems. While AI assisted medical practice may lack the human touch, it is more humane since it helps address the healthcare needs of a much larger population in a way that is more efficient and affordable.
References:
Guo, J., & Li, B. (2018). The application of medical artificial intelligence technology in rural areas of developing countries. Health Equity, 2(1), 174-181.
Olsen, R. (2021). At the height of digital wellness, are we missing the human touch? https://medcitynews.com/2021/01/at-the-height-of-digital-wellness-are-we-missing-the-human-touch/(accessed 28 October 2021).
Pradhan, K., John, P., & Sandhu, N. (2021). Use of artificial intelligence in healthcare delivery in India. Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy, 5(September). https://jhmhp.amegroups.com/article/view/6765/pdf(accessed 27 October 2021).
Rice, M. (2019). The growth of artificial intelligence in healthcare. https://www.healthrecoverysolutions.com/blog/the-growth-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-healthcare(accessed 27 October 2021).
Seiler, M. (2019). AI is helping rural patients get crucial medical care. https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/entrepreneurs/portal-telemedicina/(accessed 28 October 2021).
Sharma, N.C. (2021, February 8). AI will lead to faster delivery of health services, cut costs. https://www.livemint.com/science/health/ai-to-help-with-accurate-diagnosis-in-healthcare-intel-india-s-nivruti-rai-11612776919909.html(accessed 27 October 2021).