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In the coming years, artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally transform the healthcare industry. AI refers to the use of computers and complex algorithms to complete tasks that typically require human intelligence. Keep reading to learn more about how artificial intelligence technology is revolutionizing the healthcare industry, or contact an expert at Pathstone to learn how we can help integrate AI into your operations.
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In healthcare, artificial intelligence includes the application of software and machine learning for making clinical decisions, predicting healthcare outcomes, and decreasing overall administrative burden. An increase in wearable technology, such as blood pressure monitors and biosensors, along with electronic health records will provide a myriad of healthcare data for AI to aggregate and analyze; this data will help us better understand diseases and predict future clinical outcomes.
Virtual reality (VR) will enhance the patient care and physician surgical experiences. VR is a computer-generated simulation that immerses human beings within digital environments appearing seemingly real. The use of VR headsets can relax and distract patients during painful procedures, such as labor, reducing patient anxiety and creating an overall more pleasant experience.
VR can also be used to allow physicians to practice and perfect a surgery before operating on a patient. Physicians can test out possible complications and prepare for unexpected results to decrease medical errors.
Disease diagnosis will be significantly impacted by AI. Machine learning elucidates patterns from data that are not visible to the human eye. Computer-aided detection (CAD) learns how certain diseases and diagnoses appear on imaging data and in clinical notes; the aggregated information creates clearer clinical patterns for establishing clinical protocols. In the future, diagnosing disease will not only rely on patient tests and scans, but also AI-analyzed data from digital technology such as wearable technology devices and genetic data.
As AI continues to develop, healthcare systems will be able to determine when a person is at risk of developing a chronic disease, such as diabetes or heart failure, and the patient can implement preventative measures to avoid disease development. AI will empower providers to more easily diagnose and predict serious problems before they occur.
AI will vastly improve EHRs, also known as electronic medical records (EMRs), for health systems by increasing the speed of data transfer. EHRs collect real-time clinical, administrative, and diagnostic information healthcare professionals can use to anticipate a patient’s needs. EHRs increase the speed of accessing and retrieving patient records, however, the process remains a “tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone process.”
Natural language processing (NLP) enables computers to process and codify clinician-entered unstructured data into computer-understood data. AI machine learning will predict the portion of the EHR that is most relevant to the patient’s case to further personalize their care. AI will not only ease the time burden but also increase the accuracy of the EHR and other types of clinical documentation.
In the future, AI will manage a wide variety of administrative tasks, including data entry, inventory management, drug expiration management, claims management, invoices and contracts, and updating EHRs. AI increases the speed and accuracy of patient forms by auto-populating them. AI will automate basic tasks, including reviewing errors and resubmitting claims and may eventually be able to suggest fixes to a human employee in real time.
Staff burnout challenges and an impending labor shortage are well-documented issues in healthcare. Currently, about 35% healthcare workers tasks are automatable. AI-powered predictive healthcare will reduce burnout on staff by reducing patient wait times, removing administrative tasks, and improving overall hospital performance measurements. The automation of these tasks will free up healthcare employees to focus on their most important task: patient care.
At Pathstone, we understand the importance of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare to enhance patient care, improve efficiency, and drive innovation. Our team specializes in contract negotiation and consulting services, enabling healthcare organizations to seamlessly integrate AI technologies into their operations. Whether you’re navigating the complexities of AI implementation or seeking guidance on optimizing existing AI solutions, Pathstone is here to support you. Take the first step towards unlocking the potential of AI in healthcare by reaching out to our experts today for personalized assistance and transformative solutions.
This article was authored by Yera Patel. Yera is a senior associate with expertise in performance improvement and non-labor cost reduction engagements at Pathstone Partners.
