According to a report published by MIT Tech Review, experts predict that AI will be capable of performing surgery on humans by the year 2053. While the idea of a non-living structure made up of steel, aluminum, and the like performing life-saving hemispherectomy (a radical surgery where half of the brain is removed to treat seizures) may seem blasphemous, it shouldn't be that startling.
After all, not long ago, robots took over waiting tables, and we've become accustomed to that. Nowadays, we don't even blink at the self-checkout at McDonald's locations. What are self-checkouts if not prime examples of AI integration? So, the next time you're in the operating theater, you might want to keep an eye out for your surgeon.
But not to worry; we are still a long way (30 years) from letting a literal robot perform surgery on us. However, this does not negate the vast potential that AI has to improve the healthcare industry. So, let's explore some interesting applications of AI in the industry that keeps us alive and healthy:
AI-Assisted Robotic Surgery:
Not AI-led, but AI-assisted. One major field where AI has played a revolutionary role is orthopedic surgery. A study of 379 orthopedic patients found that an AI-assisted robotic technique created by Mazor Robotics resulted in a 5-fold reduction in surgical complications compared to when surgeons operated alone. This information should be shocking! AI-assisted robotic surgery could also generate a 21% reduction in patients' hospital stay following surgery due to fewer complications.
Robotic instruments have also been used to remove tumors in complex locations, such as apical thoracic tumors affecting the top portion of the lungs. The Da Vinci system, for instance, made it possible to perform minimally invasive surgeries through small incisions, with the surgeon controlling a camera and tiny instruments. The system provides 3D high-definition views, magnifying the surgical area ten times larger than what the human eye can see. Moreover, built-in tremor filtration prevents any hand tremors, ensuring precision.
Increased Efficiency in Healthcare Diagnoses:
According to Harvard's School of Public Health, using AI to make healthcare diagnoses may improve health outcomes by 40%. A study published by the leading cancer journal, 'Annals of Oncology,' found that AI recognized skin cancer better than experienced doctors. Researchers trained a neural network to identify skin cancer, and when compared with international dermatologists, AI performed better, missing fewer melanomas and making fewer misdiagnoses.
Virtual Nursing Assistants:
In today's era of short attention spans, AI-powered chatbots can provide quick answers to patients' inquiries, forwarding reports to doctors, and assisting with scheduling. IBM Watson created an AI chatbot called 'WatsonX Assistant,' trained with deep learning and natural language processing models to understand questions and provide information.
Preventing Fraud in Healthcare:
AI can prevent healthcare fraud by analyzing large sets of data to find unusual patterns and anomalies in insurance claims. It can flag potential fraud, such as billing for services never provided or medical identity theft.
In conclusion, incorporating artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry can significantly improve treatment efficiency and accuracy. The ability of AI to speed up personalized treatment plans is a testament to the massive advancements in patient care. As technology and healthcare integrate, it is important to recognize and leverage the potential of AI to enhance patient outcomes and streamline healthcare processes. This evolution towards a superior healthcare system, powered by AI, is a promising journey that holds the key to a smarter and more sustainable future.
References :
[1] Whiteman, Honor. “Five Weird and Wonderful Surgical Procedures.” MedicalNewsToday.com, 9 November 2016, [https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314009]
[2] Emerging Technology from the arXiv. “Experts Predict When Artificial Intelligence Will Exceed Human Performance.” TechnologyReview.com, 31 May 2017, [https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/05/31/151461/experts-predict-when-artificial-intelligence-will-exceed-human-performance/#:~:text=But%20many%20other%20tasks%20will,as%20a%20surgeon%20until%202053.]
[3] Maish, Mary. “Lung Surgery.” Intuitive.com, 21 June 2022, [https://www.intuitive.com/en-us/patients/procedures/thoracic/lung-surgery#:~:text=Robotic%2Dassisted%20lung%20surgery%20can,it%20does%20not%20treat%20cancer.]
[4] Hofland, Peter. “Artificial Intelligence Better than Dermatologists in Diagnosing Skin Cancer.” Oncozine.com, 29 May 2018, [https://www.oncozine.com/artificial-intelligence-better-dermatologists-diagnosing-skin-cancer/]
[5] IBM Education. “The Benefits of AI in Healthcare.” HealthHQ.world, August 2023, [http://www.healthhq.world/issue-sections/latest-news/digitisation/the-benefits-of-ai-in-healthcare/]
[6] Roth, Jen. “The most common types of healthcare fraud.” Microsoft.com, 14 March 2017, [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/blog/healthcare/2017/03/14/the-most-common-types-of-healthcare-fraud/]