AI in Healthcare: Real-World Applications
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the healthcare industry by improving patient outcomes, streamlining processes, and reducing costs. Here are some real-world applications of AI in healthcare and how they are making a difference.
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
One of the most promising applications of AI in healthcare is its ability to assist with diagnosis and treatment planning. AI-powered diagnostic tools can analyze medical images and identify patterns that may be missed by human radiologists. For example, an AI system developed by researchers at Stanford University was able to identify malignant lung tumors with a 98% accuracy rate, which is higher than the 96% rate achieved by human radiologists.
Another example of AI in healthcare is in the field of genomics. A company called Freenome uses AI to analyze blood samples for early cancer detection. It does this by identifying circulating tumor DNA, which can be an early indicator of cancer.
Treatment planning is also being improved by AI. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have developed an AI system that can predict which patients are most likely to respond to different cancer treatments. This can help physicians to choose the most effective treatment plan for each patient, which can improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.
Robotic Surgery
Another exciting application of AI in healthcare is in the field of robotic surgery. Robotic surgical systems, such as the da Vinci surgical system, are controlled by a surgeon using a computer console. The surgeon can control the movement of the robotic arms, which are equipped with miniature instruments.
AI is being used to improve the accuracy and precision of robotic surgery. For example, an AI system developed by researchers at Imperial College London can detect and correct errors in robotic surgery in real time. This can help to reduce the risk of complications and improve patient outcomes.
Drug Development
AI is also being used to accelerate the drug development process. For example, a company called Atomwise uses AI to screen millions of chemical compounds in search of potential drug candidates. This can help to identify new drugs more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional methods.
Another company, called Exscientia, uses AI to design new drugs. Their AI system, called Centaur Chemist, can analyze large amounts of data on drug interactions and predict which compounds are most likely to be effective. This can help to reduce the time and cost of drug development.
Industry statistics
According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global AI in the healthcare market is expected to grow from $2.1 billion in 2018 to $36.1 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 44.4% during the forecast period.
According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets, the global AI-powered surgical robots market is expected to grow from $984.4 million in 2018 to $4,973.9 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 23.6% during the forecast period.
Experts Opinion
According to Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist, and geneticist, "AI has the potential to change the way we practice medicine, from diagnosis to treatment to follow-up care. It can help us to identify diseases earlier, make more accurate diagnoses, and choose the best treatments for each patient. It can also help us to reduce costs and improve patient outcomes."
According to Dr. John Kelly, the Senior Vice President of IBM Research, "AI has the potential to transform the healthcare industry. It can help us to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and make healthcare more accessible to everyone."