We are all aware that AI is a hot button topic at the moment. It is something that’s attributed to just about everything, from deep fakes to stand up comedy, but how can AI help change the healthcare system in America?
\ I recently sat down with Ramya Ganti, a tech expert in the healthcare space and the CEO of BabySteps, a women’s health startup. She has years of experience in expanding access to healthcare across the country, and offers insights into the field. Her work experience is vast, starting in a teaching hospital at Vanderbilt, and then expanding into AI and health tech fields with Thoughtful AI and Fortune 500 company BCG.
\ She believes in creating a more efficient healthcare system that passes the savings along to the patients. Decluttering the system, and creating less confusion are at the core of Ganti’s beliefs and she was very thorough in her analysis of the United States healthcare system. Below is my best summation of what she said and how AI will help to build a stronger healthcare system that will ultimately benefit the people that matter the most: patients.
\ What Is the Big Issue?
“It all starts with an understanding of one of the biggest issues facing the healthcare system, and that issue has always been lack of efficiency,” said Ganti. “There are so many tasks that take up the time of doctors and hospital administrators that can be streamlined by the use of advanced technology such as AI.”
\ Let’s begin by looking at a few examples she laid out for me. AI will help to speed up finding out what the diagnosis is for each patient, as well as accelerate drug development. Off to a good start already, but also it helps to streamline clinical trials, which leads to a more efficient delivery system. It can even help to automate the biggest system cloggers, administrative tasks, which in her words, “reduces the burden on healthcare providers allowing them to focus more on patient care.”
\ Patient care is key, let’s face it. These efficiencies are welcomed on both sides, as it reduces the cost for the healthcare providers, allowing the trickle down effect of making healthcare more affordable for the patients. So what does the efficiency actually look like?
\ Increasing Efficiency
\ According to a Citigroup report, there will be a 25 to 30 percent reduction in administrative costs, thanks to an increase in automation of administrative tasks.
\ AI-powered image analysis can help speed up disease detection by up to 90 percent, which leads to accelerated diagnosis leading to faster response times to medical issues.
\ It helps nurses, too. A 30 percent offload in administrative tasks helps allow nurses to focus more on patient care and less on paperwork, according to Accenture research.
\ Healthcare is one field where the use of AI increases the person-to-person contact. It does so by more accurately matching patients with doctors. Ganti believes heavily in the use of AI chatbots to help give research-backed answers 24/7. She says “I’m excited to see the significant impact this innovation will have.”
\ For decades, the thought of not talking with another human being was looked down upon, but the innovation surrounding AI chatbots allows for a more efficient solution. Ganti sees a number of positive effects these chatbots are having. For example, they offer round the clock access to information, which reduces the unnecessary trips to the emergency room. Allowing patients to input their symptoms and get a preliminary assessment allows them to learn the severity of their illness, and whether a doctor's visit is required, saving money, especially for self-pay patients. And that’s not all, AI chatbots can also help with appointment scheduling once again helping to reduce administrative duties in the office.
\ Now we know how AI is currently helping but what’s next?
\ We are on the cusp of improving the healthcare system beyond what we had ever imagined.
\ The next step in AI involves a deeper level of integration and personalization, and it's a major step with massive benefits for both patients and hospitals. AI can truly help with all levels of personal care. “We can see AI systems put into place that continuously analyze patient data to detect early warning signs of deterioration, as well as helping support clinicians in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and cancer,” said Ganti.
\ But it goes even beyond that.
\ Operations efficiency, something that has lagged with overburdened hospitals, will improve. Predicting patient volume, resource allocation and even supply chain management, are all tasks more suited for an AI program. Ganti circles back to one of the biggest issues that hospitals face: “AI will aid with administrative duties through Robotic Process Automation, freeing up the staff for more patient care,” she said. “More time spent with patients is a fundamental benefit of integrating AI into hospitals.”
\ Looking into the future, AI can help through augmenting intelligence. This will empower healthcare professionals and help to enhance their capabilities. It will go a step further, Ganti believes, by “ensuring AI systems are designed to complement human expertise and workflow.”
\ Finally, getting to the heart of one of the major issues that has plagued the American healthcare system, is the wait times at doctor’s offices and hospitals.
\ There is nothing worse than knowing you are having a health problem, but having to wait for something to be done about it.
\ So, where does that leave the American healthcare system?
\ We’re on the precipice of a new era, says Ganti, one driven by data analytics and a higher emphasis given to human interaction. In Ganti’s own words” “The future of healthcare will be marked by more precise, data-driven decision-making and significant financial savings,” she said.
\ “Embracing these innovations today will pave the way for a more efficient, cost-effective healthcare system tomorrow.”
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