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The inclusion of Artificial Intelligence will greatly transform modern medicine. Prior to the inclusion of AI, the most progressive move to modernize medicine has been to switch to EHRs - Electronic Health Records. Next, incorporating modern tools - PCs, iPads, etc. - into the exam room ensures safe record keeping and possibly global examination.
What do I mean by 'global examination'?
I invented the term global examination. It means, in short, the ability to share medical records worldwide by electronic means (e.g., the Internet). Sharing knowledge would significantly improve medicine as we know it. Academic conferences held throughout the year provide a means or avenue of communication for top specialists by gathering to discuss big changes and improvements.
What if the same was true for sharing medical records worldwide? I will not get ahead of myself just yet. In a recent brief by Politico Future Pulse (which focuses on healthcare technology/improvements), the following was reported regarding the inclusion of Artificial Intelligence into medicine:
Academics, patient advocates and health tech executives have some ideas on how the new regime in Washington should handle artificial intelligence.
At an event presented by the National Academy of Medicine and the University of California, San Diego, last week, they suggested:
— Standardizing data safeguards and their use in AI
— Developing a research strategy to understand AI in health care
— Designing open-source frameworks to locally test AI inside of health systems
— Creating a mode for patients to report harms
— Certifying AI products through assurance labs
Attendees noted that AI in medicine is a double-edged sword capable of helping and hurting patients. For example, AI scribes could help doctors reduce administrative burdens like notetaking, allowing them to spend more time with patients, or just accommodate more rushed appointments.
Why it matters: So far, health systems and insurers largely adopt AI to boost profitability by automating the billing and claims process. But patients are suing insurers, alleging they use AI to deny care.
Some rules exist. The Food and Drug Administration regulates AI medical devices and AI software that assists in clinical decisionmaking, but the agency doesn’t oversee more advanced tools, like chatbots. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf has said he would need a bigger budget and a larger staff to do more.
HHS’ assistant secretary for technology policy regulates AI in electronic medical records, and the Office for Civil Rights tries to ensure that health AI doesn’t discriminate.
But health AI specialists at the San Diego event were concerned that layering AI on top of a flawed health care system risks amplifying existing problems instead of providing solutions. The success of AI in health care settings hinges on how it’s standardized and implemented, they said.
Even so: Most health systems operate on thin margins — between 2 and 5 percent monthly in the last year, according to health care consultant Kauffman Hall. That means health systems don’t have much money to invest in artificial intelligence, and some in health care finance, along with patient advocates, are concerned that the cost of implementing this technology will fall on patients.
The future of modern medicine with artificial intelligence incorporated into daily practice is super exciting. What stands between then and now? Is the ability to spend money on investments that have do not necessarily have a high ROI - Return On Investment from a monetary perspective. But that result in a better society that heals and shares knowledge among its members. Stay tuned!
