Mixed Feelings between Consumers and Professionals Alike As Artificial Intelligence Is Changing The Face of Healthcare
Orange County, CA - October 11th 2017 - Regarding Artificial Intelligence entering the 21st century reactions have been mixed, lately the scales have been tipped towards cautionary. The fear of many lies in job security and the resentment behind the idea of being replaced by a machine, however there are many advantages to the AI revolution-especially pertaining to healthcare. AI could expedite care, make medications more affordable, and give patients more time with their doctors.
For instance when diagnosing Alzheimer’s, a debilitating disease crucial to catch in the early stages of development, researchers from Canada at the McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging are harnessing AI data with brain PET scans to search for the presence of amyloid plaques. Amyloid plaques are a hallmark sign of Alzheimer’s that builds up for years before the onset of dementia. The team posted their findings in the study Neurobiology of Aging, which revealed the integration of AI scans predicted disease onset with 84% accuracy.
Another form of AI easily attained by the general public is a ‘Chatbot.’ One popular example is Woebot, a phone app that brings traditionally expensive interpersonal therapy right to the user for a mere 6 to 12 dollars a week. It is programmed with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help users become more aware of problematic or troublesome behaviors in an effort to change the person’s mood, just like a trained professional.
Advanced genomic-based medicine is another creation at the forefront of AI. Supercomputers have emerged as an essential tool in the quick diagnosis of unique diseases. Now, with machine learning, computers are helping classify tumors by genetic types, allowing doctors to match a patient’s particular illness with the most effective treatments. Last June, the American Society of Clinical Oncology announced that the IBM Watson supercomputer was able to generate recommended tumor treatments for 96 percent of patients and reduced patient screening time by 78 percent.
Lastly, AI has recently been used to repurpose old drugs that failed to pass the clinical trial stage. These drugs, while with the intention of treating certain ailments in mind, rarely rectify the intended condition. Instead of letting the study’s data go to waste, AI is helping to digest drug data in ways previously too arduous for humans to handle. Bioinformatics is able to expedite the repurposing process and streamline production.
In the hands of medical professionals AI is being used to help save lives. The healthcare industry will continue to benefit from this ever evolving technology for years to come.
