Medical diagnosis with AI brings in time-bound accuracy for speedy decisions to treatment access

Bengaluru, March 30, 2023 :

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the field of medicine by improving the accuracy of diagnoses and providing new methods of treatment, according to Dr. Ajay Hegde & Dr Girish Menon, Department of Neurosurgery, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
 
By analysing large amounts of medical data and identifying patterns that may not be apparent to the human eye, AI can assist doctors in identifying diseases early when they are most treatable. One of the most promising applications of AI in medicine is in the field of diagnosis. AI algorithms can be trained to recognize signs of cancer in medical images such as mammograms or x-rays. This can help to improve the accuracy of diagnoses and reduce the number of false negatives. AI can also be used to analyse patient records and identify patterns that may indicate a particular disease, they added.
 
Further AI algorithms can be used to create personalized treatment plans for patients based on their medical history and current condition. They can also be deployed in clinical decision support systems where optimum treatment strategies can be developed by analysing vast amounts of patient-specific data such as clinical features, laboratory, and radiological investigations, noted Dr Hegde.
 
A notable application of AI is in drug development. Here AI algorithms can be used to analyse vast amounts of data from clinical trials and identify new drug targets. It can also be used to control robots performing complex surgeries, such as brain surgery, with greater precision and accuracy than human surgeons, said Dr Menon.
 
While AI has the potential to revolutionize the field of medicine and improve patient outcomes, there are also potential concerns of bias, data privacy and security, clinical validity, interoperability, and ethical considerations. The regulation and standardization of AI in medicine are still in their early stages, and there is a risk that the technology may be adopted and used before proper oversight is in place. AI algorithms must be transparent and explainable so that healthcare professionals can understand how decisions are being made and ensure that they are fair and accurate, they added.
 
Medical schools are playing a significant role in the deployment of AI in healthcare by incorporating AI courses into their curriculum and promoting research in this field. This is helping to train a new generation of healthcare professionals who are familiar with AI and its potential applications in healthcare. Medical schools are also establishing partnerships with engineering colleges and start-ups to develop and test new AI-powered tools and systems. These partnerships provide students with practical experience working with AI technologies and can lead to the creation of new AI-powered solutions that can be used in clinical settings, said Dr Menon.
 
By implementing AI technologies in clinical settings, medical schools are helping to accelerate the deployment of AI in healthcare. However, this technology is used in an ethical manner to benefit patients. These advances are helping to improve patient outcomes and reduce medical errors, litigation and improve patient outcomes, said Dr Hegde.
 
As AI continues to evolve, going forward, it is likely that it will play a major role in medicine. AI algorithms may eventually be able to diagnose diseases with greater accuracy than human doctors, and robots may become a common sight in operating rooms. However, it is important to ensure that these technologies are developed and used responsibly, in a way that protects the privacy and safety of patients, they said. Pharmabiz