Ineither contemplate nor conceive to convince myself that the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) was coined at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire in 1955, despite the fact that a concerned reader may notice several years being suggested as the year of birth of Artificial Intelligence.
For anyone who is still baffled or perplexed about AI, currently one of the most debated subjects within the scientific community, the rudimentary definition for AI is simply to understand that AI is considered as the simulation of human intelligence by machines, notably computer systems.
AI is not a strange phenomenon; it has been a topic of discussion over a cup of coffee among researchers and scholars of this specific subject for several decades.
However, for an amateur, it is not duck soup. Most importantly in healthcare, it is highlighted that AI is utilized in the process of analysing diverse type of matters such as medical records, laboratory results and so on in order to assist the clinical decision making as well as improving the patient outcomes.
Meanwhile, AI has become a sine-qua-non element in the domain of medicine and healthcare. The scientific community remarks that AI is invested with the capacity of bringing out the amelioration in the sphere of healthcare, while simultaneously capacitating the patients by providing them with a considerable control over their health.
Prominent researcher
It is also noticed that for well over a decade or so, AI has been contributing hugely to upgrade the delivery of healthcare in multiple contexts. In that light, the specific segments such as the provision of personalised health information, virtual consultation as well as remote monitoring are considered to be the most popular among many other services provided to a patient.
Dr Krishantha Kapugama, a prominent researcher and scholar in the field of Artificial Intelligence, says that among a host of significant benefits, providing personalised health information is one of the most prominent advantages of AI in healthcare.
Dr Kapugama says, “The realm of artificial intelligence is behemothic in breadth and width. AI algorithms are able to provide tailored recommendations with the patients that could assist them in maintaining and nurturing a healthy and hearty life in the pink by analysing patient’s data such as medical histories as well as factors, related to that of their lifestyles”.
Patients are benefited by this degree of information which is able to convince them of the nature of their health condition; this concurrently reminds the patients to make informed decisions with regard to their healthcare.
Remote monitoring is another application of AI in the aspect of healthcare.
“When you have remote monitoring systems, powered by AI, patients get an opportunity of having their crucial signs tracked and monitored which avoids healthcare providers of having any potential issues,” Dr Kapugama opines.
This paves the way for an early intervention as well as enhanced patient outcomes; as in concurrently, this reduces the need of having in person visits to healthcare facilities.
Dr Kapugama says, “Virtual consultation is another remarkable way where the benefits of AI are yielded to boost the delivery of healthcare. With the provision of remote medical care, the patients, notably those who have mobility issues need not travel to a healthcare facility. The role played by AI in the aspect of medication management is another pressing and touchy aspect that gives rise to the patient’s empowerment.
“Following an accurate analysis of patient’s data, i.e., the prescription histories and decisive signs, healthcare providers are assisted by AI algorithms in their endeavour of enhancing and upgrading the medication management as well as bringing down the fortuity of unpropitious and repugnant drug events,” Dr. Kapugama said.
AI plays an imperative service in the sphere of medical radiology. With the integration of AI into this particular field, the patient’s outcomes and the accuracy of diagnoses have significantly improved. Dr Kapugama shares that the analysis of medical images such as CT scans and X-rays are some of the areas where AI is being utilized in medical radiology.
Dr Kapugama says, “AI algorithms can analyse these images; they are also able to detect abnormalities. Al algorithms can also help with the diagnosis of multiple medical conditions.” In that light, AI has got the potential of increasing the speed, precision and validity of diagnoses which eventually open the way for better patient outcomes.
Apart from that, Dr. Kapugama reflects that lesions in medical images can also be read by using AI algorithms which can lessen the likelihood of missed diagnoses as well as refining the patient outcomes. Analysing medical images as well as that of the patient’s data in order to give a prognosis on the progression of a disease such as cancer can also be done with the help of AI algorithms.
Exposure to radiation
Dr. Kapugama states that the matter of reducing the exposure of radiation to the patient can also be facilitated by the use of AI in the field of medical radiology. “Optimizing imaging protocols as well as that of lowering the amount of radiation exposure which a patient may get during medical imaging procedures are also possible with the AI algorithms.”
According to Dr Kapugama, AI’s integration into diagnostic histopathology is making a whirl and twirl in the field of medicine. A convincing improvement in the veracity and exactitude of diagnoses and making the diagnostic process nippy and zippy are among several notable tasks for which AI has got a considerable potential.
Dr Kapugama notices that image analysis is one of the prominent ways where AI is utilized in diagnostic histopathology; automated tissue segmentation is another aspect which is also made edible by the application of AI in this specific field. Last but not least, Dr Kapugama points out that the integration of AI into the field of medicine and healthcare has made a revolutionary and notable impact on the lives of the health professionals and that of the patients alike.