By Katie Brenneman, Writer, Researcher
Twitter:Â @KatieBWrites93
Many people want to resist the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). There’s a fear that technology may replace them at their job or cause issues with their day-to-day life. While it’s okay to be concerned, in most cases, AI and automation are tools that can make life much easier, especially regarding healthcare. New tech trends are taking the load off many doctors and nurses and making life easier for patients. When it comes to AI, these are technologies and trends we can be expecting to see.
Why You Need Automation in Your Medical Practice
Most doctors and nurses have a lot on their plates, and automation can lighten that burden by taking away the monotonous tasks that can drag many professionals down. For instance, when programmed correctly, automation programs can completely take over the check-in and appointment process by adding patients to lists, checking them in and out, and having them sign or confirm any necessary documentation along the way. In addition to being repetitive, many of these tasks can be hard to accomplish after a long day, and many nurses do work long shifts. If that weren’t enough, medical professionals also need to constantly pay attention to minute details all day so they can provide the proper medication and care. After a 14-hour shift, it’s easy for nurses and administrators to make unintentional errors. Automation can assist with this process.
Automation can also improve workplace safety and potentially prevent burnout. One way that can happen is by providing wearable tech to your team that will monitor their heart rate and physical movements and alert a supervisor when they’re reaching exhaustion. Automation can also alleviate burnout by taking on some of the heavy lifting to prevent your employees from overworking. Machines don’t get tired, and they don’t need breaks, so they can handle complex information for hours at a time.
Medical practices also use automation to help patients set up appointments and follow-ups without leaving home through an online portal. Based on the information the patient enters about their symptoms, family history, and other essential details, the portal could tell them which forms to sign so they can be ready when they come in for the appointment. Taking away these simple tasks can ensure that your staff is not bogged down, and you could get more patients through the doors.
AI Applications in Healthcare
AI also provides essential support in healthcare because it allows for helpful applications that we never thought possible. While machines cannot replace the value of, or the need for, human care, they can make healthcare jobs easier by making them more efficient. Potential applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare include analyzing nurse availability, patient loads, and workload to create an efficient nursing schedule. This process would take the burden out of the hands of administrators, and it helps to avoid the potential for error or the double booking of your staff.
Machine learning can also be helpful by assisting doctors with the diagnosis of patients by analyzing medical imaging and patient records to identify what the core health issue may be. Machine learning programs are always evolving and learning new information. When new data about a particular condition is discovered, it can apply it to the problem at hand. This is a way to radically reduce the time it would otherwise take a doctor to research the same information.
Healthcare organizations are also using AI in the form of chatbots that can take incoming customers’ questions on behalf of your human staff. This tech ensures that the patient is all set up, so when they arrive, all your team needs to do is attend to their medical issues. AI provides an incredible benefit that can help a medical practice that’s already lacking time, funding, and resources.
Telehealth Continues to Prove Its Worth
The advancement of telehealth was essential during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people couldn’t get into a physical doctor’s office for their appointments for fear of getting sick. However, the technology continues to gain steam and find new applications, and we see those in medical offices today. While it used to be an easy way to see a doctor’s face on your screen, telehealth is now advancing healthcare in many other ways. From helping patients to set up their appointments to taking vitals via information sent from wearable tech, there’s a lot to be excited about. In addition to making life easier for older patients with mobility issues, the tech can also make healthcare costs more manageable since there’s less in-person care. That’s great for folks of lower social or economic status that can’t always afford the best in-person care.
Telehealth is also allowing more people than ever the chance to get the healthcare that they need. Patients living in rural areas miles away from the nearest doctor can give up on getting the proper care due to the chaos of trying to get to the hospital, and this tech solves that issue. Patients can even use telehealth functions to get the proper prescription transmitted to a pharmacy with the chance that the medication could be sent right to their front door.
New technologies are advancing the healthcare world in extraordinary ways, and though we’ve seen incredible things so far, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. As the years go on, AI and automation will only evolve, and the patients will reap the benefits.