The healthcare industry is changing every day; from best practices to technological advancements. The industry is seeing exponential growth in regards to virtual reality, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence. These advancements are giving healthcare practitioners the tools to provide next-level care to their customers. However, with all of these advancements, artificial intelligence is being welcomed and questioned.
Possibly the two biggest icons in their respective industries, Mark Zuckerburg and Elon Musk, shared their views on artificial intelligence.
“With AI, especially, I’m really optimistic. In the next five to 10 years, AI is going to deliver so many improvements in the quality of our lives.” – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook
Musk, for his part, provided a different view.
“AI is the ‘biggest existential threat’ we face, he said, and a fundamental risk to the existence of civilization.” – Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla
However, according to experts with Becker’s Hospital Review, “The hospitals and health systems that are looking to optimize their AI efforts are focused on resolving burdens and optimizing data merges. Hospitals are using AI to unburden the physician and the caregivers, thus saving time, saving money. Second, starting to merge clinical and financial data together in massive amounts shows how AI help deliver meaningful information to the various different stakeholders to better inform care, which leads to better informed documentation, which leads to better quality care and ultimately appropriate reimbursement.”
New technologies are amazing. Especially when the advancements make way for advanced new screening methods and proactive care possibilities for clients. Yet, no new technology gets to the top of the board without advancing over a few hurdles during its creation and trial era.
What’s working?
- AI assists healthcare practitioners with routine screenings and procedures like cardiac care, precision medicine, and proactive care to get ahead of possible issues.
- AI will continue to deliver better patient care through customized treatment plans and sophisticated medication management tools. It will also help facilitate drug development.
- The first AI-powered diagnosis of images was approved by the FDA in October 2018. Look for the increased adoption and transparency with AI models, increased use of personal genomic data, and the use of advanced analytics to solve public health issues such as the opioid crisis.
- Hospitals use AI to test known cancer patients. A recent article by Fortune describes how future healthcare practitioners hope to have screened enough people to uncover new biomarkers that can help predict cancer before it develops.
What needs help?
- Convincing the C-suite to try a test deployment of a new or perhaps overhyped technology.
- Maintaining an effective and analyzed electronic database to ensure numbers are precise and there is no overlap. Without accurate numbers, a doctor could possibly diagnose a patient wrong.
AI is gaining traction in healthcare, and has the potential to drive superior health outcomes in the near future. The opportunities that lie in AI for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, including the potential to transform trials, research, and clinical practice are monumental.
