How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Digital Healthcare

The impact of artificial intelligence on digital healthcare is a trending topic – in both healthcare and technology circles. And the adoption of AI technology in healthcare app development has only accelerated in the past few years, and it is not showing signs of abating – ever.

Healthcare has been one of the significant success stories of our times. It has improved by leaps and bounds across the world – improving life expectancy substantially. However, as life expectancy improves, the demand for better services, faster screening and analysis and preventive medicine is improving. 

Ever-changing needs of patients and caregivers keep the medical system stretched. 

However, with artificial intelligence contributing to the digital transformation in healthcare, it has been nothing short of a revolution of healthcare services. The worldwide healthcare artificial intelligence market size was $1.4 billion in 2017. This figure is forecasted to skyrocket to $28 billion in 2025. Let’s get to know the top ways in which AI will propel digital transformation in healthcare.

Healthcare Applications Analytics

Healthcare analytics is probably the segment where AI can have the most impact. Healthcare centers are incorporating AI into their cancer diagnosis systems to detect abnormalities in MRIs. 

By using limited memory AI, doctors can detect cancer cells merely by analyzing MRI reports accurately. Large amounts of model MRIs are initially fed into the AI memory so that the system ‘learns’ to look for markers that humans might miss.

Additionally, AI has also successfully shown that it can process both structured and unstructured datasets from patients. With this, AI can now provide precision medicine customized for each patient’s needs and conditions.

Personal Virtual Assistants

Though the world is favoring smart devices, their adoption is limited. 

Smartphones remain the most popular choice for the masses. Major players in the industry are focusing on developing systems for virtual personal assistants. And, healthcare app development companies are also trying to combine the benefits of healthcare apps and virtual assistants to provide better services to users.

These two systems, when combined, can notify people about their medical appointments, medication timings, educate them about medical conditions, and mimic human-like interactions to assess patients’ mental health.

Smart Wearable Devices

Regular check-ups are necessary in chronic healthcare conditions. Here, doctors need to provide assistance to patients irrespective of their location. 

Healthcare software solutions are bringing together apps and AI to help doctors track patient’s health. Physicians can extract crucial patient information from wearable devices. Also, AI-powered devices assist people to track and maintain their health through alerts and notifications. Even physicians can also track these notifications.

Screening Protocols and Imaging Analysis

Radiology is taking advantage of AI by using hybrid technologies to gain pinpoint accuracy in diagnostics and screening. Suppose the rapid advancements made by AI in the field of radiology is anything to go by,  it is possible that machines might screen most pathology and radiology images in the near future.

AI-powered tools are also helping radiologists and technicians detect small pulmonary nodules, reduce the frequency of false-negative results and detect cancer at early stages. By using artificial intelligence, it is possible to identify cardiovascular abnormalities, detect musculoskeletal injuries and more.

Mechanical Assistants

Let’s be honest here, our idea of robots is shaped mainly by Star Wars. Robotics isn’t about artificial sentient beings taking over the world! It is about combining the capabilities of computing and engineering to develop mechanical medical assistants.

Robots are proving useful in dentistry – robotic arms have successfully implanted a dental implant without the help of human beings. Robots are also being used during the endoscopy of the lungs. The robots control the endoscope during the minimally-invasive procedure to collect fluid, biopsies and identify cancer cells in the lungs. 

Taking the digital transformation of healthcare a step ahead, doctors are using AI-powered robotic arms that hold surgical tools and cameras so that they can perform remote surgeries.

Personalized Medicine

AI increases the possibility of offering tailored medications and healthcare interventions to individuals based on their medical profile, diagnosis information and response to treatment. Healthcare software solutions backed by AI consider various contributing factors such as age, race, gender, family history, metabolic profile, environmental impact, geography, and more.

The main objective of precision medicine is to consider the individuals’ biology instead of population biology to prescribe medication. Machine learning algorithms draw meaningful insights from large datasets to provide accurate diagnoses and the best treatment options. AI systems are using genetic pooling information, genetic biomarkers and metabolic profile to offer personalized treatments.

More drug effectiveness, reduced adverse effects, and fewer healthcare costs are some of the key advantages of precision medication.

Drug Discovery and Development

Modern healthcare software solutions are using AI for drug discovery and development. Health companies are leveraging the massive potential of AI to improve the complex, costly, and lengthy timelines needed for a drug to be developed and approved.

A minor failure can prove expensive at any stage of the process, and the drug wouldn’t even make it to the market. Moreover, the regulatory obstacles and compliances could also become a huge stumbling block.

Machine learning and big data analysis are helping pharma companies mine large-scale chemical data, drug compound information and biomedical data to assist in the drug discovery process.

Wrapping Up

The seamless collaboration between AI and digital healthcare app development technologies certainly makes it seem that these two are really made for each other. Well, digital health is trying to improve the health of the body and mind by incorporating digital solutions. On the other hand, artificial intelligence is trying to replicate, learn, and apply the mechanism of the human mind in digital format. AI is the mind and digital health is the matter! And the aim of digital transformation in healthcare is putting mind over matter – literally!