The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

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The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are new buzzwords in almost every industry we see today. In healthcare industry, also it is no different. In this post I would like to enlist a few applications of AI that the healthcare industry is working on. These applications are intended to provide various patient benefits, timely and correct diagnosis, improving patient-doctor interface and a very important attribute in healthcare - ease of maintaining and retrieving the patient records.

How is Healthcare Industry using AI?

• AI FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REDUCING ERRORS: There are solutions, which companies are working on for appropriate disease diagnosis. AI has proven to be a great boon in accurate diagnosis of many cancers and developing methods for individualized treatments. Other applications like symptom checker, diagnosis of deadly blood diseases, AI powered radiology assistant for better diagnosis are amongst few other examples.
• DEVELOPING NEW MEDICINES WITH AI: Many companies are working on developing new medicines in immune-oncology, neuroscience and genomics. The future entails customized and targeted treatment for many rare diseases and medicines for these targeted treatment are being developed using the power of AI.
• STREAMLINING PATIENT EXPERIENCE WITH AI: AI and digital solutions are reshaping the patient experience like never before. Right from managing the health parameters by a single app on your mobile phone to dedicated applications and programs for lifestyle disease management, real time patient - doctor conversations, increasing access to healthcare, using machine learning for a better patient journey and personalized healthcare plans with AI. The space of patient experience is transforming the industry.
• MINING AND MANAGING MEDICAL DATA WITH AI: Many in healthcare are turning to artificial intelligence as way to stop the data hemorrhaging. The technology breaks down data silos and connects in minutes information that used to take years to process. There are companies which are developing AI tools that collect and analyze data in everything from genetic sequencing to image recognition, that can give physicians better insights into treatments and cures. AI is helping to read the data behind the medical imaging and helping in better prediction and prognosis of underlying situations.
• AI ROBOT ASSISTED SURGERIES: Today robotic surgeries are gaining popularity. Robots equipped with cameras, mechanical arms and surgical instruments augment the experience, skill and knowledge of doctors to create a new kind of surgery. While these robots are controlled by the surgeons using a computer console, these robots provide the doctors 3-dimensional view of the operation site, which surgeons could not get from relying on their eyes alone. Robotic surgeries are proven beneficial for the patients as they cause less pain and quicker healing time.

These are some of the applications of AI in the healthcare industry that I know of. The use of AI in healthcare definitely offers a promise of improved access, better patient experience, faster and accurate diagnosis and many new revolutionary treatments in field of medicine.

⇒ Can you give some more applications that you might have come across? Let's make this list more complete!
Source:
Sam Daley, (2019,2020) "32 Examples of AI In Healthcare That Will Make you Feel Better About the Future", Builtin.