The world is continuously evolving with new technological advancements. From new computers to new phones to robotic surgery, artificial and machine intelligence is taking over the world and is prevalent in every aspect. Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computing technologies that resemble processes associated with human intelligence such as reasoning and sensory understanding, and adaptation of the environment by intelligence that is performed by machines. Business executives, teachers, medical professionals, and other professions are implementing AI in their everyday lives to alleviate their needs as AI can do many of the tasks that humans can in a fastest time. For example, necessary calculations in Algebra can be computed by a calculator which is implemented with AI rather than humans calculating themselves. AI offers efficiency and better accuracy since there is less risk of human error in completing tasks. Also, AI provides a wide variety of skills that make the lives of humans much easier. However, even though AI has contributed to many fields, AI is most critical in the healthcare industry. In healthcare, there are many problems that medical professionals face; some surgeries are very extensive, and those patients have a long recuperation period. On average, a patient undergoing laparoscopic surgery, the surgical insertion of a tool that has a tiny video camera on the end of the instrument and have cut the patient's body, could take up to four-five months to recover. Also, AI improves post-surgery treatment plans, which help patients interact with their surroundings better. Without AI, healthcare would not be very successful because patients would have a longer diagnosis and recovery time. Artificial intelligence is in the patient's best interest because it offers the most efficient diagnoses, precise surgeries, and quickest recoveries.
AI facilitates the diagnosis of diseases and illnesses by computing them at an accelerated rate rather than having medical professionals analyze the symptoms. A robot-assisted with AI can read patients' faces and interpret their signs. AI offers predictive modeling amongst the symptoms of patients and using facial recognition, machine-based learning can predict outcomes of the disease and make the diagnosis faster than medical professionals (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). Robots can read patients' faces and understand their symptoms at a much faster rate. Additionally, if a patient with a broken bone has an X-ray taken, a radiologist could analyze the scans but would take an extensive amount of time. Using an AI-based machine, the scan would be much more efficient. During surgery, real-time data points that robots provide help surgeons realize mistakes they could be making, which make the time of the operation faster, which leads to a faster diagnosis process (Brett 2018). Also, cancer research with AI has been a significant development, and by implementing the correct application of AI, medical professionals can detect and diagnose the type of cancer quickly. Detecting melanoma in skin and lesions in the skin is difficult to spot from the naked eye, and after extracting physical tissue samples from the patient's body which is performing a biopsy, doctors can use a mobile device that detects the type of skin cancer in order for the diagnosis to be made (Loughlin & Farrell 2017). The mobile diagnosis was able to identify the melanoma in the skin and detect skin cancer up to 200 times faster than human diagnosis (Loughlin & Farrell 2017). In addition, medical professionals at Stanford University developed the mobile diagnosis by first testing it on dogs. They trained the algorithm by showing it example pictures of dogs. Based on the thousands of images shown to the mobile diagnosis, it was able to recognize hundreds of different dog breeds successfully, so, they decided to use this software with humans (Loughlin & Farrell 2017). Furthermore, AI can significantly improve the accuracy of image detection once a CT scan or MRI scan takes place, for example, human diagnosis of X-ray scans can take a long time to comprehend, and robots like Lunit can detect cancer up to 97% faster (Towers-Clark 2019). The purpose of the specific AI application is to put thousands of CT scans into the same diagnosis and let the computer tell the doctor what criteria the diagnosis should be based on and even recommend different ways to diagnosis diseases (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). AI can complement the doctor and improve the rate of diagnosis.
Surgeries implemented with AI offer more precision than laparoscopic surgeries performed by surgeons. Robotic surgery is an example of operations that are implemented with AI. The da Vinci Si is an example of a robot that stimulates the actions of a surgeon and is the world's most advanced surgical robot that contains four arms for the patient to be operated. Three of the arms allow the surgeon to control precise incisions from sitting at a console and placing their fingers into a master control (NYU Medical Center). The da Vinci Si stimulates the actions of a surgeon once they are seated at a console and stabilize tremors in the surgeon's hand movements (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). Robotic surgery is minimally invasive, which allow the surgeon to make more precise incisions on the patient's body. For example, with laparoscopic surgery, a surgeon may have to conduct a 10-inch incision to reach the specific organ, with AI-assisted operation, the incision could be smaller than even one inch (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). For example, in 2017, robotic surgery was used to suture a small blood vessel that was 0.03 mm by 0.08 mm that was suffering from lymphedema where fluid builds up in lymphatic vessels and causes swelling (Brett 2018). The procedure required handling microscopic blood and lymphatic vessels which were too large for laparoscopic surgeries, so the surgeons relied on a robot, and the surgery was successful. Additionally, once a surgeon is seated at the console of the robot, they are provided with a full three-dimensional view of the operation, and their hands and eyes are aligned at the same time (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). Having their hands and eyes aligned minimizes surgeon fatigue because they are seated and can work from the luxury of a comfortable chair that they can adjust to their needs. Sitting down allows for better posture rather than standing up and having a neck strain (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). This way, surgeons can perform surgeries for a more extended amount of time without having the assistance of other medical professionals. The magnification provided by the robot makes the surgeries to be more precise so doctors can zoom in to specific parts of the patient's body to make the operation easier (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). Furthermore, AI provides MRI readings, or CT scans inside of the operating room so when surgeons are performing surgery based of a CT scan, the AI based machine can pinpoint the direct flaw in the patient's body (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). Laparoscopic surgeries have many implications and variables that can go wrong, and AI-assisted surgeries can undoubtedly decline the number of flawed variables. Overall, robotic surgery can significantly improve the precision of surgeries and allow surgeons to perform them without any complications.
Patients whose treatments include AI have faster recovery times and return to a healthy life faster than patients whose treatments don't. Once patients have received their diagnosis and completed the surgery or medical procedure required, they require treatment plans. Treatment plans can vary based on the specific illness the patient goes through and usually take a long time to devise the plan. Robots can assist patients by coming to their homes, which remind them to take their medicines, and even contact their doctors. According to Wired, "Mabu is a robot developed by Catalia Health, which can come with patients at their homes and aid them in their recovery process. Mabu can read a patient's emotions, contact the patient's doctor, and remind them to take their daily medicine" (Loughlin & Farrell 2017). Robots can also give robots a sense of companionship by allowing patients to video chat their loved ones. The feeling of camaraderie is vital as patients grow old and require assistance. Robots such as Watson developed by IBM allow for continuous processing of multi-variables and eliminate traditional diagnostics done by doctors (Dr. Ramanathan 2019). Also, AI can create new drugs, and if a patient requires a specific antibiotic or vaccination that the doctors do not have, AI-applications can genetically engineer the particular drug and prescribe it to the patient. Every year, it costs about 2.6 billion dollars to put each drug through trials, and only about 10% of these drugs are brought into the market. If AI is used, biopharmaceutical companies can hypothesize new medicines that get used which not only reduces the cost but helps with the accuracy of the drug to help the patient get better soon (Built In, 32 Examples of AI in Healthcare).
According to AI executive, Anurag Harsh, "AI could be one of the best things to happen for the care of our chronically sick and elderly populations while helping providers reduce overall costs. Also, AI could be used to help at-home elderly manage their medical appointments, medicine regimens, and even report at-home tests, such as blood pressure, back to their providers" (Harsh 2019). This helps alleviate the long-term effects that specific treatments have. AI-based machines can also perform repetitive tasks at the front desk and deal with patients when they are checking in. A company called Olive designed an AI platform that completes the most repetitive tasks so medical administration can focus on their more important tasks (Built In, 32 Examples of AI in Healthcare). This way, the patient can get as much time with the doctor as possible, and they do not have to worry about administrative work and can devise treatment plans. In addition, AI can also increase the efficiency of patient operational flow. Johns Hopkins Hospital uses an AI task force to admit patients faster. They have seen a 60% improvement in its ability to admit patients, and a 21% increase in patient discharges before noon (Built In, 32 Examples of AI in Healthcare). Patient discharge rates are quicker, and patients can return to their everyday lives and work quicker. Furthermore, neurological diseases and problems to the nervous system can impact patients' abilities to speak, move, and interact with people or their environment. Computers backed up with AI can restore these fundamental experiences to those who might have lost these abilities forever (Bresnick 2019). Brain-computer interfaces (BCI's) can improve the quality of life for patients suffering ALS, stroke, or other neurological problems by decoding the neural activities associated with the intended movement of someone. Overall, AI can offer the fastest recovery rates and devise patient treatment plans accurately.
Without AI, the healthcare industry would not be making as many advancements, such as robotic surgery. AI is becoming more popular because medical professionals are looking more towards its applications. The healthcare industry without AI would have too many responsibilities for medical professionals, and AI complements the doctors and helps them with their job. With the help of AI applications, such as mobile-diagnosis, facial recognition, and robots such as Mabu and IBM Watson, doctors can determine the diagnosis of the patient at an efficient rate. Also, surgeries can be much more precise, and robotic surgery offers a wide variety of benefits. There is less trauma on the patient's body, which results in less scarring, and patients can be discharged from the hospital faster. This can lead to patients having quality time with their families rather than spending time in the hospital. With AI applications, patient treatment plans can be devised, and patients can return to their everyday lives sooner rather than having prolonged recovery rates. AI offers a lot of conveniences as it can do tasks for medical professionals, and they don't have to worry about basic tasks that need to be done. Overall, AI applications in healthcare have an everlasting effect that is beneficial to the healthcare industry.
Works Cited
Bresnick, Jennifer. “Top 12 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Impact Healthcare.” HealthIT
Analytics, HealthITAnalytics, 27 Feb. 2019, healthitanalytics.com/news/top-12-ways-
artificial-intelligence-will-impact-healthcare.
Britt, Phil. “How AI-Assisted Surgery Is Improving Patient Outcomes.” Robotics
Business Review, Robotics Business Review, 15 June 2018, www.roboticsbusi
nessreview.com/health-medical/ai-assisted-surgery-improves-patient-outcomes
Harsh, Anurag. “The Effect of AI on Healthcare.” Personal Interview, 23 May 2019.
Loughlin, Ryan, and Sean Patrick Farrell. “The Robot Will See You Now – AI and
Health Care - WIRED Videos.” Wired, Conde Nast, 25 Apr. 2017, video.wired
.com/watch/robots-us-the-ai-and-automation-revolution-the-robot-will-see-you
-now-ai-and-health-care.
Ramanathan, Dr. Rajesh. “The Effect of AI on Healthcare.” Personal Interview, 22 May 2019.
“ROBOTIC SURGERY CENTER.” What Is Robotic Surgery? | ROBOTIC SURGERY
CENTER, med.nyu.edu/robotic-surgery/physicians/what-robotic-surgery.
“Surgical Robots, New Medicines and Better Care: 32 Examples of AI in Healthcare.” Built In,
builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/artificial-intelligence-healthcare.
Towers-Clark, Charles. “The Cutting-Edge Of AI Cancer Detection.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine,
3 May 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/charlestowersclark/2019/04/30/the-cutting-edge-of-ai
-cancer-detection/#7b3134eb7336.