The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

AI and related technologies are starting to be used in healthcare. They are becoming more and more common in business and society. These technologies have the potential to alter many aspects of patient care, as well as internal administrative processes at payer, provider, and pharmaceutical firms.

Today, computers are already more accurate than radiologists in spotting malignant tumors and guiding scientists in the development of cohorts for pricey clinical trials.

Artificial Intelligence Applications in Healthcare

1. Machine Learning in Healthcare

Machine learning is a statistical technique for 'learning' through 'teaching' models with data and fitting models to data. One of the most prevalent types of AI is machine learning; in a 2018 Deloitte poll of 1,100 US managers whose organizations were already exploring AI, 63% of the businesses surveyed were using machine learning. There are numerous variations of this broad strategy, which forms the basis of many AI methodologies.

Precision medicine, which predicts which treatment protocols are likely to be effective on a patient based on a variety of patient traits and the treatment, is the most common application of classical machine learning in the healthcare industry.

2. Deep Learning in Healthcare

One of the most challenging forms of machine learning is deep learning, which involves neural network models with multiple levels of features or variables that predict outcomes. These models might have tens of thousands of hidden components that modern graphics processors and cloud computing platforms can handle more quickly. Deep learning is commonly applied in the medical field to detect potentially cancerous tumors in radiological images. Deep learning is increasingly being employed in the field of radiomics, or the finding of clinically relevant patterns in imaging data that go beyond what the human eye can notice. Deep learning and radiomics are most frequently used in cancer picture analysis. Their combination appears to hold more potential than the previous generation of automated image analysis technology.

3. Rule Based Expert System

The most popular AI technology in healthcare during the 1980s and the years that followed was built on expert systems that deviated from 'if-then' rules. Artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support is still widely used in the healthcare sector today. Many electronic health record systems (EHRs) at the moment include a set of rules with their software choices.

A thorough collection of rules in a certain knowledge area are frequently developed by engineers and human experts for expert systems. They are easy to comprehend and apply, and they are effective up to a point. However, if there are too many rules, typically over a few thousand the rules may begin to conflict and break down. Additionally, if the field of competence. In the healthcare sector, machine learning is gradually replacing rule-based systems with data-driven solutions that employ specialist medical algorithms.

4. Diagnostic and Treatment System in Healthcare

The focus of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has been on disease diagnosis and treatment for the past 50 years. Early rule-based systems were capable of diagnosing and treating disease, but clinical practices did not fully adopt them. They didn't significantly outperform humans in diagnosis, and there was poor interoperability with workflows for doctors and medical record systems.

It can frequently be difficult to combine clinical processes and EHR systems with the usage of artificial intelligence in healthcare for diagnostic and treatment strategies, regardless of whether it is rules-based or algorithmic.

For clinical trials, diagnosis, and treatment, the majority of AI and healthcare capabilities provided by medical software vendors are standalone and concentrate on just one area of care. Several EHR software suppliers are beginning to incorporate fundamental AI-powered healthcare analytics capabilities into their product offerings, albeit this trend is still in its early stages. To effectively profit from the usage of AI in healthcare, healthcare providers who utilise independent EHR systems will either need to take on substantial integration projects themselves or engage third-party vendors who have AI capabilities and can interact with their EHR.

5. Natural Language Processing in Healthcare

Computers can understand and use human language thanks to a type of AI known as natural language processing (NLP). This kind of technology has altered the healthcare industry. In the healthcare sector, NLP is being used for a number of health data applications, including improving patient care by improving the precision of diagnosis, accelerating clinical processes, and providing more customized services.

For instance, NLP can be used to extract pertinent information from medical records in order to precisely detect disorders. It can also be used to decide which treatments and medications are optimal for each patient based on their prior health information, or even to predict potential health risks. NLP also provides great capabilities for arranging enormous amounts of complex data.

Medical personnel can utilize artificial intelligence to more precisely diagnose ailments and provide their patients drugs that are more specifically suited to their needs thanks to natural language processing, which is proving to be a crucial tool in the healthcare industry. This type of healthcare AI is rapidly turning into a necessity in the contemporary healthcare sector, and it's going to become much more advanced and applied in a wider range of scenarios.

6. Administrative Aspects 

Artificial intelligence in the medical field is transforming many of the administrative aspects of medical care. By automating time-consuming tasks like data input, claims processing, and appointment scheduling, artificial intelligence in healthcare can provide physicians and healthcare organizations more time to focus on patient care and revenue cycle management. Furthermore, artificial intelligence has the ability to reduce human error by providing a speedier way to examine medical imaging, claims processing, test results, and health data. Artificial intelligence has given medical staff more control over their workflow processes, enabling them to provide higher-quality patient care while still adhering to financial limits. The power of AI to examine a situation is transforming the healthcare sector.

The capacity of AI to examine a patient's medical history and generate better, quicker results is transforming how healthcare professionals provide therapy since it enables them to devote more time and resources to their patients. Medical personnel may be certain that they can focus on providing high-quality treatment while also saving time and money by using AI to automate administrative tasks. Artificial intelligence is driving the advancement of patient care in the healthcare industry.

By automating typical administrative tasks, artificial intelligence can provide medical professionals more control over their workflow process while also saving time and money.

7. Physical Robots in Healthcare

Physical robots are already well-known, with more than 200,000 industrial robot installations occurring each year worldwide. They perform preset tasks including lifting, moving, welding, or assembling items in locations like factories and warehouses, as well as transporting supplies in medical facilities. More recently, robots have become easier to teach by having them carry out a desired task, and they have increased their capacity to work cooperatively with people. The incorporation of various AI capabilities into their "brains," which are actually their operating systems, is another reason why they are growing smarter. It would seem logical that as artificial intelligence develops across different fields, physical robots would eventually incorporate the same improvements in intelligence.

Also Read: How to Prepare Image-Based Questions for NEET PG?

Ethical use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of AI in healthcare has numerous ethical ramifications, of which this is only one. When intelligent robots are employed to make or assist with healthcare decisions, accountability, transparency, consent, and privacy issues can arise. In the past, people have made the majority of healthcare decisions.

Given the state of technology at the moment, transparency may prove to be the most difficult problem to tackle. Many AI systems are quite challenging to comprehend or interpret, in particular the deep learning algorithms utilized for photo interpretation. When a patient is told that an image contributed to the cancer diagnosis, he or she probably wants to know why. Even doctors with a fundamental comprehension of deep learning algorithms would not be able to offer an explanation.

AI systems will undoubtedly make mistakes while diagnosing and treating patients, and it may be difficult to hold them accountable. There will also be situations in which AI systems provide people medical information that they would prefer to obtain from a kind doctor. Algorithmic bias may also be present in healthcare machine learning algorithms, which may lead them to forecast a higher chance of sickness based on racial or gender characteristics even when those are not the actual cause factors.

The use of AI in healthcare is expected to result in a number of technological, ethical, medicinal, and vocational advancements. Organizations in the healthcare industry, as well as governmental and regulatory bodies, must put up mechanisms to monitor important issues, act appropriately, and establish governance structures to minimize negative impacts. This technology will require continual maintenance and careful policymaking for many years because it has a profound and long-lasting impact on human society.

Challenges with Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Healthcare businesses are investing more and more in the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare for a range of roles, but there are several ethical and regulatory challenges that might not be present in other industries. These difficulties must be overcome.

Gaining physician approval and trust, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, teaching algorithms to spot trends in medical data, patient safety and accuracy, data privacy and security, patient safety and accuracy are some of the most important challenges. Because AI systems collect a lot of delicate personal health data that could be misused if not managed properly, data privacy is very important.

To prevent sensitive patient data from being utilized without their will, the proper security measures must also be adopted.

Accuracy and patient safety are important considerations when using AI in healthcare. AI systems must be trained to see patterns in medical data, comprehend the relationships between various diagnoses and treatments, and offer precise recommendations that are tailored to each patient individually. Furthermore, because it requires a deep understanding of how current technology functions to ensure efficient operation, integrating AI with current IT systems may complicate things for medical personnel.

Finally, the support and confidence of medical experts are crucial for AI to be successfully implemented in healthcare. Doctors must have confidence that the AI system is instructing them correctly and won't lead them astray. Doctors must have access to information about the AI system's decision-making process to guarantee that it uses trustworthy, up-to-date medical research. Government regulations must be followed in order to ensure that AI systems are used morally and without jeopardizing patient safety.

Future use of Artificial Intelligence

As the capabilities of healthcare have grown, the viability of using artificial intelligence to improve medical practices has improved. Because of the creation of advanced algorithms that can interpret enormous data sets and AI-powered medical devices, the potential for applying AI in healthcare is limitless. Deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to automate various processes like drug research or testing as well as accelerate the diagnosis of diseases and develop tailored treatment regimens. Additionally, it offers promise in terms of improving patient outcomes, elevating safety, and cutting costs associated with healthcare delivery.

There is no denying that the future of AI in healthcare is promising and full of possibilities for fresh advancements. AI will increasingly be used in the healthcare industry.

There is no denying that the future of AI in healthcare is promising and full of possibilities for fresh advancements. As we transition into a more connected digital world, the application of AI in the healthcare industry will become an invaluable resource. This might alter how medical professionals treat patients and deliver care. 

Not the technology's efficacy, but rather how to mainstream it into clinical practices is the largest challenge facing AI in healthcare. In the future, medical professionals may gravitate towards professions that call for unique human abilities and the highest level of cognitive function. Only those healthcare providers that choose not to engage with AI in healthcare may not gain completely from it.

To scale up your NEET PG preparation with the best-in-class video lectures, QBank, Mock Tests and more, download the PrepLadder App!

Download PrepLadder's NEET PG app for Android

Download PrepLadder's NEET PG preparation for iOS