Category: Tech
Different sectors are gradually experiencing AI technology as a revolution factor and among the sectors is the health care. Technology has expanded its limits in the field of health care and now with a considerable amount of Artificial Intelligence integrated in the analysis for diseases, diagnosis and management of diseases in the health sector thus impacting the lives of health care patients in a positive manner. Medical field is gradually becoming the primary field of AI's application, ranging from predictive analytics to individualized medicine, providing the world with the vision of a future created in which medical care is more specific, more available, and more efficient.
Enhancing Diagnostics
It is worth singling out diagnostics as one of the most important fields of AI application in the sphere of healthcare. Such approaches may involve the use of personnel and skills possessed doctors and other health practitioners, which may at times cause diagnostically-associated mistakes or involve a lot of time. AI, on one hand, can process large amounts of medical data in shortest time and with highly degree of precision. For example, AI algorithms can analyse medical images such as X-rays MRI, and CT scans for pathology that may not be visible to the naked eye. Such algorithms are built through machine learning methods where they are trained on thousands of image and can easily detect a pattern or an anomaly within a high level of accuracy.
Thus, the application of AI is not limited to imaging only in the diagnostics of diseases. It also pertains to the records of patients' electronic health records (HERs), genetic information, and laboratory information. Thus, with the help of cross-checking the obtained data with the existing medical knowledge, AI can contribute to diagnosing potential pathological states and offer corresponding therapy methods. It also saves time in diagnosing a patient's condition and increases the accuracy of the diagnosis thereby improving patients' outcomes.
Using Big Data Analytics to Prevent Health Crises
Another vast and growing area of AI application is in the use of predictors or forecasters. AI solutions can be used for the analysis of each patient's case history for the determination of tendencies for further health developments. For instance, using AI can lead to early identification of patient's risk factor that predisposes the said patient to categorical diseases like diabetes or heart disease. In this way, the identified risks can be avoided or at least minimized through early intervention with practices that will prevent the condition from getting worse or becoming malignant.
Forecasting too is essential in the management of hospitals. AI can predict the rates of admitted patients so as to minimize delays in resource management to reduce waiting time. This is especially useful in the Emergency wards whereby providing duties by professional and skilled nurses can make a productive difference between life and death. Predicting patient inflows would help hospitals have adequate personnel, equipment and bed space to meet the hospitalized patients' surge.
Personalized Medicine
Ancient people have known about the so called personalised medicine concept that is applying the intercession in accordance with the genetic code print, lifestyle, and more. However, such an approach is becoming possible as well as efficient with the help of AI. AI can cope with large amounts of genetic data and can find out the particular mutation or biomarker linked with particular diseases. This information can then be used to create treatment plans that are likely to be effective depending on the patient.
For example, currently, in oncology to examine the genetic abnormalities that cause cancer in the particular patient. This leads to the formulation of individual over general treatment plans, this may involve specific therapies or immunotherapies; these are treatments that are geared towards destroying the cancerous cells but sparing normal tissue. It also makes the processes of remission more effective, and cuts down the risks of negative outcomes, which promotes the quality of a patient's life.
It is also being applied in prescription of the right doses to the patients. Because of AI, doctors are able to determine how a patient's body would react when a specific medicine is introduced to the system from their genetic information and then prescribe a dose that will yield the best results out of the undesirable effects of the drug. This is especially the case where the difference between the efficacious and toxic dose is small commonly referred to as drugs with narrow therapeutic index.
Streamlining Administrative Tasks
Despite the focus often being made on its contribution to the improvement of clinical care, AI is instrumental in optimisation of administrative processes in the sphere of healthcare as well. Scheduling the appointments, billing, and record keeping services are usually auxiliary to the functioning of the healthcare facilities but are nonetheless, cumbersome and labor intensive.
A number of these activities can be at least partially performed through the use of AI-based solutions and tools, and this does not include direct patient care. For instance, the AI chatbots may check and book an appointment, explain to the patient a disease or answer frequently asked questions, and even remind the patient about his or her medication chest and appointment for review. In billing, what AI do is to work on claims which minimizes chances of making mistakes and increment the rate at which their reimbursement is completed.
Thus, AI can assist dealing with the records of patients' data by sorting and classifying it, which could be useful for healthcare providers in finding specific or relevant pieces of information. This is not only time-saving but also increases the reliability of the entries about the patient since there are very minimal chances of a mistake.
Drug Discovery and Development
The search for new drugs, right from development up to the stage of approval, is known to take anything from a decade or more and may cost as much as a few billion dollars. This process is expected to be drastically enhanced by the use of information technology especially AI meaning that it is going to take a shorter time and cost lesser amount to put new drugs on the market.
Bioinformatics can use big data to process large collections of biological data to find probable drug compounds. These algorithms can predict how various compounds will behave regarding the human body which can be used by the researchers to swiftly nip down to the best potential candidates. AI can also forecast the side-effects and toxicity which is valuable in eliminating the less viable candidates before it goes through clinical trials.
However, the other application of AI is in re positioning where one tries to find a new indication for a given drug instead of conducting new drug discovery. Thus AI can predict new uses for the approved drugs based on the available data and hence can have a shorter approval cycle and is likely to be cheaper.
Remote Monitoring and Telemedicine
Another possible direction is automated telemedicine, and far-off patient monitoring, which has grown in popularity because of COVID-19, and AI also aids in the enhancement of such solutions. Some AI devices are in a position to check clinically significant changes in patients' acute signs in actual time and notify clinicians all about it. It is especially useful for clients with steady illnesses where they need consistent check-ups but the situation does not warrant their admission to the hospital.
Remote monitoring coupled with Artificial Intelligence offers a continuous rather than intermittent type of monitoring in real-time to even offer the healthcare professionals a better perception of a patient's health status. The above information allows for modification of treatment policies as per the patients' requirements to avail an appropriate treatment. Furthermore, through the use of AI, there will be constants entered that are significantly relevant to presence of some form of health problem or another, and this way early detection is possible.
Telemedicine, backed by Artificial Intelligence, is also reaching out to every nook of the world and helping in increasing reach of health care largely in the developing world. Optician can take advantage of AI in executing virtual consultations for the following reasons: AI aids in the review of patient data and recommendation of probable diseases or possible treatments hence assisting the healthcare providers to offer quality services via telecommunication technology. It not only enhances the availability of good health care services but also helps lessen the load exerted on the health care centers.
