• AI has the ability to analyze big data sets pulling together patient insights and leading to predictive analysis.
• By 2030, AI will access multiple sources of data to reveal patterns in disease and aid treatment and care.
• Healthcare systems will be able to predict an individual’s risk of certain diseases and suggest preventative measures
• AI will help reduce waiting times for patients and improve efficiency in hospitals and health systems.

What is Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is commonly known for its ability to have machines perform tasks that are associated with the human mind like problem solving. However, what’s less understood is how AI is being used within specific industries, such as healthcare.

The healthcare industry continues to evolve as machine learning and AI in technology become more prevalent. Insider Intelligence reported that spending on AI in medicine is projected to grow at an annualized 48% between 2017 and 2023. 

Machine learning has the potential to provide data-driven clinical decision support (CDS) to physicians and hospital staff paving the way for an increased revenue potential. Deep learning, a subset of AI designed to identify patterns, uses algorithms and data to give automated insights to healthcare providers.

Benefits of AI in Healthcare & Medicine

Integrating AI into the healthcare ecosystem allows for a multitude of benefits, including automating tasks and analyzing big patient data sets to deliver better healthcare faster, and at a lower cost. 

According to Insider Intelligence, 30% of healthcare costs are associated with administrative tasks. AI can automate some of these tasks, like preauthorizing insurance, following-up on unpaid bills, and maintaining records, to ease the workload of healthcare professionals and ultimately save them money. 

AI has the ability to analyze big data sets pulling together patient insights and leading to predictive analysis. Quickly obtaining patient insights helps the healthcare ecosystem discover key areas of patient care that require improvement. 

AI-powered predictive care

AI and predictive analytics help us to understand more about the different factors in our lives that influence our health, not just when we might get the flu or what medical conditions we’ve inherited, but things relating to where we are born, what we eat, where we work, what our local air pollution levels are or whether we have access to safe housing and a stable income. These are some of the factors that the World Health Organization calls “the social determinants of health” (SDOH).

In 2030, this means that healthcare systems can anticipate when a person is at risk of developing a chronic disease, for example, and suggest preventative measures before they get worse. This development has been so successful that rates of diabetes, congestive heart failure and COPD (chronic obstructive heart disease), which are all strongly influenced by SDOH, are finally on the decline.

References

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0840470419850438

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-20910-4

https://healthitanalytics.com/news/top-12-ways-artificial-intelligence-will-impact-healthcare