FROM THE PRESIDENT by LEWIS HARGETT , MD
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine : We Are Already There !
Technology in medicine continues to accelerate at a rapid pace and is transforming all areas of health care . It is used as a tool to integrate information , analyze data and assist providers in making informed decisions for the benefit of patients . New technologies have made positive impacts in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases . The advances in technology have affected how medicine is being practiced today for the better health of mankind .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) defines health technology as “ the application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of drugs , medical devices , vaccines , procedures and systems developed to solve health problems and improved health related quality of life .” The advances in health technologies have enhanced the delivery of health care for patients and providers .
Advances in technology have led to new discoveries or improvements in health care areas such as antibiotics , vaccines , anesthesia , x-rays , immunotherapy , transplant surgery , cancer treatment , heart devices , in vitro fertilization and joint replacements to name a few . This has led to improved health , quality of life and longevity of patients . As these techniques , procedures and processes become more complex , training is needed on an ongoing basis to remain proficient . The training can be extensive , but it is required for these technologies to be used in a safe and efficacious way . Also , there are moral , ethical and financial concerns that need to be addressed with the use of many of these advancements in technology .
The use of computers and the internet have become invaluable to both the practitioner and the patient . It has allowed for the digitalization of health care . This digitalization has changed how health care is delivered . There is the potential for lowered costs and increased access to care . One of the most widespread uses of digitalization is the adoption of electronic health records ( EHR ) and electronic medical records ( EMR ). It allows for electronic entry , storage and maintenance of the health records of patients . This information can be used by single providers or multiple users and health care facilities . Most of us are familiar with EHRs and EMRs . An example of an EMR is MyChart . It has become widely accepted and it allows patients to access their medical records , schedule appointments , view test results and communicate with their health care providers through a secure online platform . This technology has improved access to medical information for continuity of care .
Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) is a collection of technologies used in health care . Thomas Davenport and Ravi Kalakota ’ s article , The Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare , discussed the use of machine learning ( ML ), natural language processing ( NLP ), deep learning ( DL ) and other AI enabled tools to assist and improve patients ’ diagnosis , treatment and outcomes ( Davenport , Kalokota 2019 ). Large technology companies such as Siemens , GE Healthcare , Nvidia , Google , Meta , Amazon , Apple and others are considered leaders in the development of and use of AI . These technologies are being used to perform complex tasks that were previously done by humans .
AI technologies have the capability to improve diagnostic accuracy , affect disease treatment plans , enhance the delivery of health care for individual patients and empower patients to have more control of their health . Here are some examples that have been beneficial to health care services :
• Health care services can be provided by telemedicine .
• Robotic assisted technology for surgical procedures has greater precision and accuracy .
• Precision medicine or personalized medicine uses a person ’ s genome , environment and lifestyle to prevent , diagnose and treat disease .
• There are applications in radiology used for medical image analysis and diagnostic decision support , etc .
• Transcription services use speech recognition to convert spoken language into written text to include medical documents and prescriptions .
• The internet provides patients and providers access to information that can aid in diagnosis and treatment of health conditions .
• Patients have access to wearable devices and health apps that can monitor their health status ( glucose , blood pressure , heart monitoring , etc .).
In view of the information above , AI technology has greatly impacted health care . Recently , I attended the Kentucky Medical Association Annual Meeting , held August 23-25 , 2024 . There were two presentations on AI , and I gained further insight into how AI was being used in health care . I also was reminded that AI is not a new technology , but that it has been in use for many years .
In addition to its uses in health care , AI applications are being used in everyday life . They are as follows : Siri and Alexa for smart
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