Much has been said about AI in recent months, with news reports praising AI’s ability to diagnose with remarkable precision and suggest treatment options in ways a human is unable to.
However, what are the ramifications of this for the medical industry and how might the industry evolve in coming years as a result of this new technology?
A recent article in The Guardian quotes Dr Mehmet Oz as saying that AI might have become ‘better than frontline human physicians’. Dr Oz leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), one of the biggest federal government agencies.
Dr Oz explains that a visit to a doctor for a diagnosis of a condition such as diabetes might cost around $100. This, compared with a $2 exchange with AI. At the same time, while promising reduced future medical costs, AI might give a more accurate result as it is able to pick up on subtle nuances that a human is unable to detect.
In an article in the New York Post published at the end of March this year, software giant Bill Gates made a prediction that AI would replace teachers and doctors within the coming decade. He even went as far as to say that human beings wouldn’t be needed anymore ‘for most things’. Gates further predicted that professional tutoring and medical advice would soon become commonplace, as well as free.
“It’s true that AI can mimic the human brain, but it can also outperform us mere humans by discovering complex patterns that no human being could ever process and identify,” says Ronald M. Razmi, author of AI Doctor: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare – A Guide for Users, Buyers, Builders, and Investors.
AI: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
A recent study by the American Medical Association found that 65% of participating physicians saw numerous advantages to using AI in healthcare. Over half of the respondents (56 percent), said they believed AI could enhance patient safety and convenience, as well as care coordination.
Fifty-one percent of participants in a survey of radiology department workers said they believed AI would save time for radiologists. While this is a high figure, one has to consider the 49 percent who did not think so.
The truth is that while AI’s benefits are innumerous, doctors do have certain concerns about it. Studies show their top concerns are related to legal clarity, transparency, and reliability. Another concern is that they will be replaced by AI. Many doctors understandably feel a little fearful about the ramifications of the rapidly-evolving technology. Who wants to be replaced by a calculated, heartless algorithm?
Some doctors are also skeptical about the new technology, arguing that it isn’t infallible. There is always the risk that it could make a misdiagnosis, they say.
Some doctors argue that diagnostics is more than just pattern recognition, explaining they rely on intuition, patient knowledge and relationship, and clinical judgment to make a diagnosis, among other factors.
At the same time, diagnosis and medical intervention isn’t just about the result. It is about reassuring the patient by, for example, holding his or her hand, and interacting in an emotional context… something which AI is unable to do.
Concerns over loss of the patient-doctor relationship have also been expressed. This relationship can be beneficial in and of itself. If AI outperforms the doctor, will this decrease the patient’s confidence in him or her?
The large amounts of data fed into the system also raises privacy concerns. Some doctors are concerned whether information will be secure once fed into the database. Much of the information obtained by doctors from patients is sensitive and not intended as a public asset.
AI: A Way To Leverage Doctor Effectiveness?
At the other side of the argument, are those who believe that AI is a means to enhance the doctor’s influence and relationship with patients. Some say that the technology might make way for doctors to interact more with patients, as it will take away the tedious nature of many tasks, and allow the doctor to focus more on the patient.
“It’s estimated that AI could free up to 25% of clinician time across different specialties. This increased amount of time could mean less hurried encounters and more humane interactions, including more empathy from happier doctors. This is important because empathy has been shown to improve outcomes by boosting patient adherence to the prescribed treatments, increasing motivation, and reducing anxiety and stress” writes Razmi.
AI Algorithms Continue To Advance At A Rapid Pace
An article on healthcare platform Keragon said that, as of March this year, over 700 AI algorithms had received FDA approval as a means of support for physicians.
These AI algorithms have already outperformed radiologists in some tasks, for example, by processing extremely large datasets. Recently, 42 000 patient scans were used to develop a single Google AI algorithm, says the report.
It is difficult to say what the future holds, but it would seem there is enough investment by professionals in healthcare for right decisions to be governed and correct procedures to be implemented. The hope is that man’s ethics and moral core will be able to govern AI’s advancement, and that human talent and intellect will continue to be celebrated as the miraculous gifts that these are.