Discover how artificial intelligence is revolutionising healthcare by empowering physicians, improving patient outcomes, and reshaping the doctor-patient relationship.

As the term "artificial intelligence" (AI) becomes more and more associated with the healthcare industry, as a doctor, you may have experienced a subtle disquiet that raises questions about the future of medicine and the place of human knowledge. This future isn't too far off, given the increased hype around ChatGPT, large language models (LLMs), and other AI technologies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is undeniably making a significant impact on the field of medicine. Physicians should start learning about artificial intelligence (AI) immediately since it is quickly taking over the field of medicine. Knowing both the technology's promise and its limits will be essential to giving their patients the best treatment possible.

The typical physician must frequently make rapid, critical decisions throughout their daily routine. For example, radiologists have to make a choice every minute or so on anything from the diagnosis of a little aneurysm to a breast cancer that is hardly noticeable. Primary care physicians are tasked with diagnosing and treating patients with complex health conditions, synthesising various medical data, creating patient notes, and ensuring follow-up care. Surgeons and medical experts must also be prepared to adapt quickly during procedures to address unexpected issues.

As many imaging exams, laboratories, and other tests turn out to be normal, and as many patients' complaints turn out not to be significant, the doctor's role also includes assuring healthy patients and promptly identifying those who need assistance. This entails quickly differentiating between the two. These decisions are extremely important, impacting millions of individuals each year and potentially determining matters of life and death.

In the next ten years, artificial intelligence (AI) will play a critical role in supporting physicians as they continue to find solutions to these and several other issues.

AI could help with data overload comprehension

Let's consider how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance medical care.

1. The strength of AI lies in its ability to efficiently process and sift through vast amounts of data, allowing healthcare professionals to identify patterns and trends more rapidly than traditional methods.
2. For example, AI algorithms have shown to be very accurate in the diagnosis of a range of medical disorders using pictures from dermatology, retinal scans, and medical imaging.
3. AI-based diagnostic tools are anticipated to make further advancements in the future, potentially facilitating diagnoses in diverse scenarios.
4. Leveraging AI's diagnostic capabilities enables physicians to make more accurate judgments and ultimately enhance patient outcomes.
5. AI may also assist medical professionals in staying current with medical research, which is essential considering the enormous and constantly expanding corpus of medical information.
6. AI can support physicians in delivering optimal care by swiftly summarising and evaluating the latest research findings. This allows clinicians to stay up to date on the newest advancements and treatment alternatives.

AI in customised healthcare

The application of AI in medicine could lead to improved patient outcomes. Personalised treatment regimens based on each patient's distinct genetic profile, medical history, and lifestyle characteristics may be provided by doctors with the use of AI, which optimises therapeutic interventions and improves overall clinical results. By leveraging this data, AI has the capability to aid healthcare providers in offering optimal recommendations, recognising potential side effects, and forecasting patient responses to specific treatments.

1. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise preventative medicine by identifying individuals who are more susceptible to specific illnesses and enabling early treatments.
2. Wearables with AI capabilities, for instance, may track vital signs and identify anomalies, warning physicians and patients of possible problems before they become serious.
3. Early detection and intervention facilitated by AI have the potential to significantly improve treatment outcomes and, in critical scenarios, even save lives.

Utilising AI to automate "the boring stuff"

1. Ultimately, AI has the potential to enhance the doctor-patient relationship by automating administrative tasks, allowing physicians to engage more meaningfully with their patients. This is achieved by freeing up doctors' time to focus on important aspects such as developing a deeper understanding of their patient's needs and delivering empathetic care while streamlining tasks like billing, appointment scheduling, and paperwork.
2. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants have the potential to support patients by addressing their questions and concerns outside of regular appointments, allowing doctors to offer continuous support and improve patient engagement. This technology may enhance the trust and communication between physicians and patients, ultimately contributing to more effective treatment outcomes.

AI will assist in restoring the human element

While technological advancements are reshaping the healthcare landscape, the human element of compassion and empathy remains essential in patient care. Despite appearing counterintuitive, I believe that AI will in fact help healthcare professionals refocus on the more compassionate elements of their practice. With automation handling technical and administrative tasks, doctors can now devote more time to meaningful patient interactions rather than being consumed by computer work.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

About the author of this article: Dr Monish Raut is a practising super specialist from New Delhi.