AI’s potential in healthcare

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has greatly impacted a variety of industries, including healthcare.

According to Acumen Research and Consulting, the global AI healthcare market will exceed $8 billion by 2026.

The Harvard Business Review identifies the following 10 most promising AI applications in healthcare. It estimates AI’s uses could save the industry $150 billion annually by 2026:

Robot-assisted surgery — AIassisted robotics can analyze data from pre-operative medical records to physically guide a surgeon’s instrument in real-time during a procedure. It can also use data from actual surgical experiences to inform new surgical techniques.

Virtual nursing assistants — Can help with healthcare labor shortages by asking patients questions about their health, assessing their symptoms, and directing them to the most effective care setting.

Administrative workflow — AIbased technologies, such as voice-to-text transcription, can improve workflows and eliminate time-consuming, non-patient-care activities.

Fraud detection — Can improve the speed and accuracy of fraud detection in Medicare claims.

Dosage error reduction — Can help identify and prevent medication errors in real-time.

Connected machines — Increases the value for patients by working in tandem with the industry’s many connected devices, including mobile applications, medical record systems, wearables, and smart devices.

Clinic trial participation — Has the ability to speed up patient selection and recruitment by quickly analyzing data.

Preliminary diagnosis — Though still in its infancy, AI may be able to deliver a preliminary diagnosis, which could be done before a patient enters the emergency department.

Automated image diagnosis — Can help radiologists and pathologists diagnose a wide variety of conditions.

Cybersecurity — Can help ensure the safety of patient data by understanding the difference between normal computer activity and malicious hackers.

According to the Harvard Business Review, AI uses for clinical judgment are still in their infancy and will need time to become established in a meaningful way. But the AI applications that can deliver the most value today (AIassisted surgery, virtual nurse, administrative workflow) should be prioritized and invested in, so healthcare providers have more time to focus on patient care.