Healthcare is arguably one of the most important industries in America. It is not only responsible for treating sick patients but also responsible for providing revolutionary research that has the potential to change the world and advance society. The healthcare industry itself has changed drastically as well, especially with the implementation of Artificial Intelligence. With a rapid increase in technological advances in other industries, we must remember that such an important industry such as healthcare is not excluded from participating in these changes. Artificial Intelligence has entered the healthcare field and has made drastic changes to make health predictions much more reliable. With the incorporation of technology, machines are used to quickly and accurately produce results. We encourage you to think about this the next time you visit your doctor and to also reminisce on how primitive medical technology used to be just a decade or two ago. The challenges of AI in medicine may derive from those who are skeptical of AI in the medical field due to the slow removal of the “human” aspect of medical care. However, the counter-argument to these skeptics is that AI-created models enhance the performance of humans. This is the use of AI in all of the other industry sectors, and it doesn’t change when applied to the healthcare industry. Therefore, the expected human elements of practicing medicine such as instinct, common sense, and empathy are still there despite what the critics may say. Furthermore, AI is a technology that is currently being used in the healthcare industry the information produced from this technology is still protected under HIPAA, in case anyone is also concerned about their health’s privacy. How AI can benefit the patient Today, the uses of AI and technology in healthcare is heavily present to ensure that vitals are being measured correctly. For instance, blood pressure, temperature, and glucose levels used to either be measured with manual tools, which often took longer and were not always accurate due to human error. We also see the implementation of AI in healthcare through seemingly simple sleep tracker apps. These apps measure how much sleep you are getting and can provide recommendations to help you improve your lifestyle. There are also more complex apps that measure more aspects of your lifestyle such as food intake, medicine, and activity levels. These apps then provide insights on your daily activity and then provide also provide recommendations on how you can improve your health in the process. You can even consider weight loss tracking apps to be something that benefits the health of the user. As an example, these apps can track your daily food log and provide insights such as “on days you eat cucumbers, you tend to stay within your calorie goals”. Some more complex apps can help patients who have pre-existing conditions monitor their health. Individuals with diabetes can download diabetes management apps to help monitor their sugar on their phone with another medical device so that Type 1 Diabetics no longer need to prick their fingers regularly. How AI can benefit the healthcare professional AI can also benefit healthcare professionals by streaming the process of providing care to the patient. For example, AI has features that assist doctors in note-taking during medical appointments. This way, the doctor will have one less task that takes them away from the full attention to their patient, which may result in a higher quality of care. An added benefit to this is that environmental factors within the room itself will also be improved since the patient feels that they have the full attention of their healthcare provider. AI can also measure small trends in data that may accidentally be overlooked by the human eye since it may be deemed insignificant at the time. Coupled with Machine Learning technology, AI can help predict possible health outcomes of the patient based on these trends and allow the doctor to make a more informed decision when coming up with a diagnosis for the patient. This is closely related to how technology is helping patients with results on accurate vitals as mentioned earlier in this blog. Essentially, the implementation of Artificial Intelligence will enhance human behavior (not replace it) and help patients and doctors become much more involved in their providing a more personalized health care experience, which will hopefully lead society to great outcomes. If you have an idea that could disrupt the healthcare industry and not only make it more efficient but to help millions of individuals receive enhanced care from their provider, please contact us at SDI. Our development team is up to date on the latest in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, so we can ensure that your idea will come to life with the most sophisticated technology available. We have proven results in working with reputable and influential companies such as Marvell, PepsiCo, and Benefit Cosmetics to ensure that their ideas are executed exactly the way it is envisioned. The future of healthcare is rapidly transforming, and we would like your great idea to be part of the movement.