Is AI Enhancing Patient Outcomes in Healthcare?
As we know, AI (artificial intelligence) is used widely, primarily by people in academic settings. AI can be viewed as both harmful and helpful. It can be used for wrongful purposes, but it can also provide beneficial applications depending on the way you use it.
As AI becomes more advanced, it is beginning to integrate into our healthcare system. AI is reshaping the approach to patient care and treatment decisions by being integrated into diagnostic services. Healthcare organizations are leveraging AI to facilitate faster diagnosis and treatment decisions that improve patient outcomes. According to the World Economic Forum article "How AI can Transform Patient Care and Treatment", an estimated 100 million people in the United States have an undiagnosed chronic disease, contributing to 90% of the country's healthcare costs. AI technology can help identify these conditions earlier, potentially slowing or preventing disease progression. For instance, at Hackensack Meridian Health, AI has been integrated into the workflow for primary care providers to help identify stage 3 chronic kidney disease earlier.
While AI is actively enhancing patient safety and care monitoring, it also introduces new risks at both the macro and technical levels. According to the National Library of Medicine article "Role of Artificial Intelligence in Patient Safety Outcomes: Systematic Literature Review", a malfunction in a widely deployed AI system could result in widespread patient harm, in contrast to the more limited patient injuries that may occur due to a human provider's error. Additionally, there have been cases where conventional analytical methods have outperformed machine learning approaches. Given the variable effectiveness of AI, it is vital to understand both the encouraging and concerning impacts of AI on patient safety outcomes.
In conclusion, AI is becoming increasingly integrated into the healthcare system, with both promising and concerning implications for patient care and safety. On the positive side, AI-powered technologies are enabling faster diagnoses, earlier disease detection, and more efficient treatment decisions that can improve patient outcomes. AI is reshaping the approach to healthcare by augmenting the capabilities of providers and facilitating more proactive, personalized care. However, the widespread adoption of AI also introduces new risks, as system errors in widely used AI applications could lead to large-scale patient harm. Depending on your own beliefs on whether or not AI is appropriate, do you think it enhances patient outcomes?
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