Looking into the Future - AI in Healthcare

Artificial Intelligence (or AI) is a constellation of a number of different technologies such as Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning. The market for AI is forecast to grow to $14.7 billion by 2025, with rapid uptake of the technology anticipated across a number of different industries.

We have already seen its applications in developing AI-powered chat-bots, drug development and tracking of COVID-19 infection rates. This, however, is only just scratching the surface. This article will focus on 3 solutions to some of the biggest healthcare challenges in developed nations.

One of the biggest challenges faced by healthcare systems in developed economies is obesity. The number of people in the UK living with obesity has nearly doubled in the last 20 years and it is forecast that the NHS-wide cost of obesity-related illness will amount to £9.7 Billion per year by 2050, with wider costs to society estimated to reach £49.9 billion per year.

One solution is to deploy Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cognitive assistants in line with ‘nudge theory’ to support people in making better decisions regarding their health. Similar to Amazon's “Alexa”, patients will be able to speak and interact with these cognitive assistants who act as their behavioural coach.

A doctor would help create a personalised weight loss plan to achieve behavioural change. The next step is for enrolled patients to start having regular conversations with the cognitive assistant about their diet, exercise and eating habits. Doctors will be able to continuously review information revealed during the dialogues with the conversational AI and make any appropriate adjustments to the weight loss plan.

Another problem is the lack of hospital capacity. A Nuffield Trust report anticipates that we will need an additional 17,000 beds by 2022 to prepare for the effects of an ageing and growing population. This is placing a significant burden upon emergency and acute care, increasing waiting lists and contributing to a growing shortage of beds.

One solution is to enable healthcare to take place outside of hospital walls which can be achieved by connecting patients with providers via smart devices. AI can help prioritize the patients you need to focus on and coordinate the necessary resources. It can also tell you the type of outreach that would be most effective based on the specific condition of each patient. In the future, this could extend to an AI-enabled clinical and operations control centre that matches supply with demand for healthcare services.

Finally, a particularly pertinent issue is medical staff fatigue and long waiting times. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen significant strain placed on medical staff, additionally, the amount of repetitive and routine administrative tasks which staff are expected to complete does little to help this. A report on the Global Health sector in 2020 conducted by Deloitte reported that, on average, for every 1 hour spent with a patient 2 hours is spent on documentation.

A possible solution is to combine digital health records with AI. With greater use of digital healthcare records, there will no longer be delayed requests for records or decisions made on incomplete information. This will reduce the frequency and length of appointments and, most importantly, it will encourage clinicians to focus their time, attention, and effort on patients.

It is unlikely and also unsafe to expect AI to replace the need for doctors and a lot of healthcare infrastructures. Nothing will ever replace a healthcare worker’s ability to console and care for patients when they are at their most vulnerable. Instead, new technologies need to be co-created with employees, the public and governments taking an active role in dictating the future of AI.

If this human-AI collaboration is achieved successfully, we can reduce lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, tackle problems of hospital capacity and reduce staff burnout. Ultimately leading to more profitable healthcare providers and healthier populations.