A Heart-to-Heart with AI

AI is everywhere. In the walls, in your phone, in your healthcare and maybe the afterlife, too. AI has always had a deep relationship with healthcare and now, it has knocked down the door and is coming for the scrubs.

First, it was just to diagnose. Now, robots are assisting in surgery.

Want to know how far healthcare has come with AI?

What’s AI doing in the field right now?

1. Medical Diagnosis

400,000 people a year suffer from preventable harm. About 100,000 of them don’t fare so well. Incomplete medical histories and large caseloads make simple cases cloudy. AI can predict and diagnose cases, eliminating the largest error– a misdiagnosis.

2. Drug Discovery

A drug in clinical trials is expensive. A $1.3 billion kind of expensive. AI platforms use structure based drug design to predict how drug molecules will interact with the target. We have faster rollout to production, significantly lower labour costs, and obviously, a win for the pharma industry.

3. Robotic Surgery

For the first time, when something is robotic, it isn’t taking the life out of it. From minimally invasive procedures to open heart surgeries, hospitals are growing to incorporate AI into everything.

Can AI replace Doctors?

Let’s clear this up, first. The term “robotic” often misleads people. Robots don’t perform surgery. Your surgeon performs surgery using instruments they guide via a console.

Also, studies have shown that a harmonious doctor-patient relationship plays a pivotal role in patient recovery. The trust, informed consent and comfort in human relationship cannot be contested.

So, no. not yet, at least.

With such advancements in the healthcare system, the market is competitive. Here are three countries that have brought their A game to this field:

1. United States: A global leader with prime hospitals in cities like Boston, Cleveland, and Houston. Robots are employed in cardiac surgery, urology and gynaecology.

2. Germany: Always an achiever in precision engineering, Germany has embraced robotic surgery technology with open arms. The country's medical institutions perform complex robotic procedures, particularly in orthopaedics and oncology.

3. South Korea: South Korea has been making a mark for itself in this domain. The country's healthcare facilities are specialised in plastic surgery and joint replacements using robots.

If you want to know about the global scientific production of robotic surgery in medicine,

From Heal to Hell

AI has a unique ability to translate complex ideas into designs in ways that humans might find challenging. Here are some ways AI can enhance the design process:

Data Collection Concern

A notable example is the 2016 data breach at Banner Health, affecting 3.7 million patients. AI systems that handle large volumes of sensitive data must implement robust security protocols to prevent such breaches, which can lead to identity theft and loss of public trust.

Biases

Research has shown that some AI systems, like the one used in a 2019 study published in Science, had racial biases in predicting healthcare needs, leading to Black patients receiving significantly less care compared to white patients despite having similar medical needs.

Legal Challenges

As a (rapidly) developing field, the old, wise eye of law takes time to navigate complex regulatory framework.

Accountability:

The case of IBM Watson’s recommendations for unsafe cancer treatments in 2018 raises questions about liability. Establishing clear guidelines on accountability—whether it falls on the hospital, the technology provider, or both—is crucial for integrating AI into clinical settings.

Resistance to AI

Surveys, like one conducted by the Pew Research Center, reveal that a significant portion of the public remains skeptical about AI in healthcare, concerned about the loss of human oversight.

Cybersecurity risks

Malware. Ransomware. Data breaches. Privacy violations.