How Artificial Intelligence is transforming healthcare

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly important part of the healthcare eco-system. AI’s potential to enrich people’s lives, making us healthier and happier, is gradually becoming known across the industry.

What distinguishes AI technology from traditional health care technology is its ability to gather information, process it and produce an accurate output for the user.

Here are 5 ways AI is helping shape a vastly sophisticated healthcare system in 2019.

Staying well

One of AI’s biggest potential benefits is prevention. Helping people to stay healthy so they don’t need a doctor or as many invasive healthcare procedures. Consumers are now more in control of their own health, particularly through using smartphone apps. Apps like Nudge and MyFitnessPal encourage healthier behaviour in our lives and are being used by millions of smartphone users daily.

Early detection

AI is currently being used to detect diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes early. Routine checks for these diseases at your doctor are what most people would think of when picturing early detection. But, detecting the signs of severe health conditions also happens at a more micro level in the day to day lives of people. The popularity of consumer wearable technology, like Fitbits, combines AI and health data to detect health problems early. Health professionals and caregivers can monitor the onset of diseases or potentially life-threatening episodes.

Diagnosis

Allied health professionals are able to use health data collected from consumers to solve real-world health problems. For example, Google’s DeepMind Health helps clinicians get patients from test to treatment faster. It combines machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful learning algorithms that mimic the human brain.

Treatment

AI makes scanning health records easier and more accurate, allowing health professionals to create more comprehensive health care plan for their clients. The automation of these health records also makes it easier to stay on top of long-term treatment plans to better help clients manage a range of complex health diagnosis.

Research and Training

AI is being used to streamline drug discovery and repurposing. Being able to significantly cut time and costs for new drugs has significant benefits to the healthcare industry. AI has also advanced testing in labs, making training quicker and safer for future health care professionals. With complex softwares embedded on smartphones and via video links, training has become quicker and easier. ‘Natural’ simulations are a more cost-effective way for trainees to gain experience and can be done anywhere.