5 Ways Artificial Intelligence is Used in Healthcare

Posted on 02/13/20 By Lorman Team

Artificial intelligence in healthcare is changing our everyday lives in more ways than we can imagine. From new drug development to robot-assisted surgery, AI is taking healthcare to a new level.  

By 2022, more than 50% of Global 500 companies expect to be using AI at scale, and the medical industry isn't far behind. Using AI in healthcare isn't an innovation anymore — it's a necessity.

Let's take a look at the advancements of AI in medicine in 2020 and beyond.

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

The AI sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. By 2021, the healthcare AI market size is expected to reach $6.6 billion, up from $600M in 2014. By reducing human error, automating the workload, and bringing new opportunities to the table, artificial intelligence in medicine is changing the industry.

1. Better Diagnostics Efficiency

Diagnostics errors is a high-priority problem for the health industry worldwide. Artificial intelligence can improve the diagnostics process.

A study published by Lancet Digital Health compared the ability of artificial intelligence to detect diseases from medical imaging to that of healthcare experts. It found that in the past several years, artificial intelligence has become much better in diagnostics and turned into a viable assistant.

While today AI's diagnostics ability is comparable to healthcare professionals’, in the future we may see it exceeding human performance.

2. Developing New Medicine

Medicine development can take years, clinical trials are extremely costly, and it can cost billions of dollars to test each drug. Only about 10% - 20% of them make it to the market.

Usually drug development takes about 5 years before it can go to trial. With artificial intelligence, it can take about 12 months.

In 2020, a drug created by AI will be used on humans for the first time. The necessary molecule for this medication was created using different algorithms that checked potential compounds against a large database of parameters.

By shortening the development period, AI can take new medicine development to a new level. Hundreds of startups are already using AI for drug discovery.

3. Improving Patient Experience

In the fast-evolving modern world, everyone is pressed for time. Seamless patient experience in hospitals and healthcare offices is vital to the quality of services. Utilizing technology in the healthcare industry and implementing AI helps hospital staff process billions of data pieces faster and more efficiently.

From nurse scheduling, patient education, and appointment booking to robotic nurse assistance, robotic pharmacies, and natural language processing, AI is improving the patient experience while saving time.

4. Turning to Robot-assisted Surgery

Robot-assisted surgery is gaining huge popularity all over the world. Hospitals use robots for all types of procedures, from minimally invasive operations to open-heart surgeries. Robots add precision to the process and reduce the chances of human error.

According to a study published in Yonsei Medical Journal, the number of robot-assisted surgeries is steadily increasing. Artificial intelligence is making surgeries safer and more efficient. It reduces the number of surgery-related complications and speeds up the recovery time.

5. Analyzing Big Data

Data analysis is one of the toughest challenges artificial intelligence and healthcare industry face. The amount of information is so overwhelming that finding a rare jewel seems impossible without AI assistance.

David Agus, the author of The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health and The End of Illness, explains the importance of big data analysis:

"A study came out recently that showed that if you have ovarian cancer, and you happen to also be on a beta-blocker — a drug that [can be] used for blood pressure — you lived four-and-a-half years longer."

This observation would not be done without extensive big data analysis. Artificial Intelligence makes such discoveries possible.

Reviewing the Benefits of AI in Healthcare

The sizeable benefits of using artificial intelligence in healthcare are tough to underestimate. It has already become an integral part of our everyday experience. With AI assisting healthcare professionals, our society has a higher chance of improving life quality.