How AI is Changing the Face of Health
The symptom checker is becoming an essential tool in the health care landscape. It is designed to help patients better understand their symptoms and choose whether to seek in-person health care or advice from a physician. It also allows patients to get medical advice without the hassle of visiting the doctor. So AI is Changing the Face of Health . However, it can also have unintended consequences, including cyberchondria and excessive health care use.
AI-driven symptom checkers are available for millions of users around the world. However, while they are being hailed as a vital tool in delivering better health care, they must be accompanied by explanations that make sense to laypeople. These explanations can help build trust and promote the app’s adoption. While no study has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of these explanations, social theories have shown why explanations are more effective at conveying knowledge and cultivating trust than other explanations.
Researchers created an online symptom checker that allowed users to enter their symptoms and get a diagnosis without visiting a doctor. The study showed that users who tried the symptom checker reported that it provided valuable information and insights that helped them get closer to a correct diagnosis. Moreover, half of the patients who used the tool reported positive health effects. On the other hand, some users who discussed their results with physicians reported mixed feelings.
Cost-saving tools
Managing healthcare costs can be challenging, but there are some tools available that can help health plans manage costs and improve the patient experience. Many of these free tools can be linked to a member portal account. For instance, they can help members compare prescription costs and find the lowest prices. You can also save money by limiting your insurance plan’s network of providers.
Developing a consistent financial review cadence can help healthcare organizations improve financial acumen and unify teams. Moreover, empowering managers to understand variances can help close gaps and improve accountability. Another cost-saving tool is creating visibility among service-line leaders, entity leaders, and executive leaders. This creates accountability, improves data-driven decision-making, and saves time.
Reducing administrative errors
In health care, AI applications are improving workflows and reducing administrative errors. The administrative burden adds hundreds of billions of dollars yearly to healthcare costs. The United States spends nearly double the amount it needs to cover BIR, or business intelligence and reporting (BIR). This unnecessary expenditure is mainly due to low-value-added work, fraud, and lack of collaboration between stakeholders. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools can improve the transcription of medical notes and automate the processing of electronic health records.
While AI systems can predict outcomes and risk factors across large populations, human experts should still be involved in decision-making. One example of a use case for AI in health care is preventing drug overdose. In Michigan, for example, algorithms are being used to predict the risk of overdose using data from patients’ medication histories, electronic health records, and state-run prescription drug monitoring programs. Based on these outcomes, interventions are recommended for patients at risk. These algorithms are designed to improve clinical decision-making by augmenting human experts.
Another example of how AI can reduce administrative errors is by monitoring medication adherence. AI can notify clinicians when medication is not taken correctly, reducing costs. AI can help reduce medication non-adherence, a growing problem that costs between $100 and $300 billion annually. It also contributes to approximately a quarter of all hospitalizations and approximately 125,000 deaths each year.
Saving resources
Healthcare is one sector where time is money, and an efficient patient experience allows hospitals to treat more patients. It is estimated that the number of hospital admissions will reach 33 million by 2020, with patients with varying conditions, insurance coverage, and ailments. Streamlining the patient experience through AI is critical to saving resources and increasing hospital profits. Ai can process billions of data points to make medical decisions faster and more efficiently.
Healthcare organizations must develop AI solutions safely, ethically, and consistently. This means establishing a consistent regulatory approach and defining clear roles and responsibilities for AI solutions. It is also essential to clarify the extent of patient access to AI tools. This will help ensure patient trust in AI solutions.
While AI can improve patient care and save resources, it also presents ethical and regulatory issues. In addition, the rapid adoption of AI will likely lead to displaced healthcare professionals, which poses equity issues. However, the technology is not yet fully implemented. Nevertheless, it promises to improve many aspects of health care.
