AI has the potential to achieve so much powerful change in the world. In the two previous posts in this ‘AI for good’ series we’ve looked at the way that data, AI and ML are having an impact on two key issues of our time: conservation and sustainability. In this post we’re going to be focusing on healthcare and how technology innovation is delivering a brighter future in terms of outcomes – as well as potentially improving access globally.
Even before COVID hit humanity in 2020, healthcare was already under a lot of strain. Expanding global populations have put pressure on infrastructure and evolution hasn’t been as fast or as effective as many had hoped. When you add in the problems caused by a global pandemic, it’s a grim picture, especially for those without the resources to pay for innovative treatments and the best care. But it doesn’t have to be.
If there is one thing we know about AI + data it’s that this is a combination that can supercharge insights and processes, enable better-informed decision-making that produces smarter outcomes and intelligently handle large volumes of information at high speeds. Which, coincidentally, is exactly what global healthcare needs right now.
There is limitless potential in terms of how AI can upgrade and optimise life – and death – experience, as well as tackling some of the biggest challenges for the sector today.
Helping people stay healthy so that they can minimise how often they need to access healthcare services
For example, tech applications and apps empower individuals to make informed decisions to improve lifestyle and wellbeing, as well as insights and data that give healthcare professionals more perspective when it comes to providing services and support. Here, data and AI provide options for customised healthcare that simply wouldn’t exist without the involvement of tech. One example is the Ava bracelet, which tracks physiological signals, accumulating data that can be used to help couples get pregnant faster.
Improving access to healthcare
AI can provide patients with greater access to healthcare professionals and enable better care by medics. It can simplify the processes involved in reporting, communication and documentation and help overcome traditional barriers for patients in complex systems. For example, conversational AI is being used to automate patient experiences of accessing healthcare institutions, including arranging check-ups and providing quick responses to routine queries.
End of life care
As life expectancies increase, being able to provide dignified and supportive end of life care is becoming more of a priority. Robotics may have a key role to play here, not just when it comes to supporting people in their own homes to minimise the need for hospitalisation, or moving into a care facility, but also on a social level. Loneliness and isolation are two of the biggest issues for older people. Medical robots are increasingly being researched as an option for palliative, supportive and end-of-life care including a number of assistive, therapeutic, social and educational uses.
Early detection of adverse outcomes
This is being employed in many different ways, from utilising data from wearables to specific scans for some of the most challenging parts of medicine. For example, a new AI scanning technique examines the placentas of pregnant women looking for potential adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth or pre-eclampsia.
Improving the process of drug development – and speeding it up
AI had a key role to play in identifying the genomic sequences, development of drugs and vaccines for COVID-19 but its potential goes much further than that. There are implications for every area of illness and disease when it comes to drug discovery. For example, in 2020 Google’s AI subsidiary, DeepMind, announced that its AlphaFold program could deliver computational predictions of protein structure that equal the quality of those provided by gold-standard experimental techniques such as X-ray crystallography. AI is going to be pivotal to drug development going forward – according to AstraZeneca executives (in a paper published on the company’s website).
“AI is helping to analyze multiple complex datasets capturing detailed information about objects or concepts – such as genes, drugs, diseases or molecular pathways – and the relationships between them. It helps uncover novel insights and discover possible drug targets, as well as opportunities for repurposing existing drugs when exploring this vast interconnected data space.”
A tool for professional training
The use of AI in medical training is becoming increasingly prevalent – and is popular with medical professionals too. A recent survey of UK NHS postgraduate centers in London between October and December 2020 focused on trainee doctors’ perceived impact of AI technologies on clinical training and education. 58% saw a positive impact, 62% felt that it would reduce clinical workload and 68% felt it could improve research and audit training. One of the many ways AI can be used here is to create naturalistic simulations that can challenge trainees much more effectively than simple computer-driven algorithms – or even human patients.
Surgery and disease management
We are increasingly seeing AI integrated into the process of disease management to improve overall coordination and effectiveness. Robotics have also made their way into theatres, with the global surgical robotics market expected to reach $98 billion in value by the end of 2024. Surgical robotics offer many benefits, from lower risk of infection to minimal invasiveness.
