- Jan 23, 2018
As AI and Deep learning technologies continue to gain traction, its impact in the healthcare industry is noticeable. From the use of virtual reality to connected healthcare devices, the introduction of tele-medicine and latest imaging equipment, transformation in the industry have come up a long way and no doubt that whatever changes that has taken place is only for good. The credit to such advancements goes to the introduction of technologies like artificial intelligence, Big Data, Machine learning, predictive analytics, etc.
The growing acceptance and adaptation of AI although has been slow in the healthcare industry but as soon as providers realized its real potential and benefits, there has been no looking back for this technology. It is because of machine learning capabilities that medical practices have been able to make sense out of algorithms which otherwise would have been wasted and would have delayed delivery of efficient care in the process.
Here are three relevant implications of AI in the healthcare industry that has given a whole new dimension and boost to the way healthcare systems operated and tackled the responsibility of delivering better care facilities to the growing population.
Reduced Dependency on In-person Doctor Visits
There was a time when in-person consultations with the physicians were common. But that was a matter of the past. In today’s digital world, technological advancements have eliminated the need for visiting the doctor as patients no longer need to travel a long distance or wait for getting an appointment to get them checked.
Now, patients can consult doctors online through apps that let them report their illness symptoms, get notified of medication, follow-ups and any other reminder related to their health. All these activities have been possible because most of the medical apps today are backed by machine learning technology that uses algorithms, resulting in data-driven predictions.
For example, AiCure is a mobile health app that leverages artificial intelligence to encourage patients to follow their prescriptions without fail and ensure that they take medication on time and do as directed by their doctors to prevent them going against what has been prescribed to them.
Manages Medical Data to Recommend Right Course of Action
Millions of data are generated every day in the healthcare industry. Managing this data and analyzing it to extract meaningful insights that can be used to improve care services and better the performance of health systems. Manually extracting meaning out of this huge piles of medical data is time-consuming and at the same time stressful. Hence, the job is made seamless by systems driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that are trained to turn data into relevant healthcare solutions.
Earlier, many of the information generated from scans or medical tests conducted on a patient remained scattered, unorganized and unavailable for use. But with AI systems, all those data that may help physicians to make informed decisions regarding patient treatment are available in the form of Big Data using which quality care and effective medical services can be provided without any delay.
Faster Creation of Medicinal Drugs
Analyzing patterns and algorithm to make interpretations without human assistance is what artificial intelligence is all about. Now, machines are capable enough to extract information out of data and put to best use, making the diagnosis of diseases and healthcare issues faster and more precise than ever before.
Leveraging AI, pharmaceutical companies are now able to create medicine and drugs without having to spend much time and money on clinical trials. For instance, Atom wise, the creator first Deep learning technology for small molecule discovery, made use of supercomputers to examine patient data to study molecule structure and find appropriate solutions or create drugs to meet a specific health problem as they did in the emergency situation caused by the outbreak of Ebola virus. Using AI technology, they were able to offer medicine that proved to be effective in treating the virus in just one day.
Conclusion
As we have stepped into 2018, it will be exciting to see how AI will open up new ways for further development and drive more opportunities for healthcare providers to improve their operations and expertise in the days to come.
