Overview of the use of AI in health in America

Photo: CDC

The use of artificial intelligence in the healthcare domain is not really a recent development or project. Back in the 1970s, some biomedical problems were tackled with the use of AI. Of course, these early AI applications were just the beginning. In this article, we will do an overview of the use of AI in health in America. More importantly, we will discuss the main ways AI has been helping healthcare systems provide a better experience for patients.

Overview of the use of AI in healthcare systems around Latin America

According to a recent McKinsey study, there is an annual growth of 25% in the use of AI technology in companies around the world. When it comes to Latin America, two out of ten companies are using Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short. It is also important to mention that more and more health clinics are moving towards digitalization. AI intelligence today is far superior to what it was only a few years ago. With the use of breakthrough AI techniques such as natural language processing and machine learning, healthcare and medical practice are being changed for the better not only in America but also on a global level.

Many companies in Latin America, including health clinics, are betting more on the use and adaptation of these new AI technologies. The many benefits that come with AI are becoming increasingly evident and health clinics are beginning to see why it could benefit their clients and patients as well.

The general benefits companies get with the use of AI

After this brief overview, let's take a closer look at some of the benefits that come with the usage of AI and why they have sparked interest in so many different health clinics around the world. Let's first list the most essential benefits that come with AI. These are the following:

• Cyber security. Protecting valuable health clinic info also patient info is one of AI's top priorities. Moreover, with the use of AI, companies can identify suspicious traffic, harmful software, infected links, etc.

• Data processing. Being able to process an enormous amount of data is always beneficial. It can help companies with decision-making, marketing campaigns, overall strategy, and approach for their clients. communication improvement and so much more.

• Generative AI. A type of AI that goes beyond data processing, generative AI can utilize the gathered data and use it. For example, voice assistants.

• Automation. Robotic processes and virtual agents have become increasingly popular with the drop in popularity in call centers and with the increase in patients due to the global pandemic.

• Sustainability. AI can be extremely cost-effective and provide many sustainable solutions for companies including health clinics. By using AI, processes can be streamlined within all industries. AI technologies enable companies to reinvent their organization and maintain their operations in an agile way. They also bring in many new innovative solutions in the form of digital tools and services.

So, as we can see, the overall benefits of using AI are many. However, if we go into specifics, how can AI help health clinics exactly? Aside from better data gathering, can it do more to benefit patients during their healthcare journey? Well, let's see.

AI in healthcare - How clinics are changing their approach

As mentioned above, automation of tasks can be extremely beneficial for any company let alone a health clinic. Namely, with the use of AI that is powered by a natural processing engine and has machine-learning capabilities, clinics can create and manage far better scheduling systems, rescheduling, confirmation of appointments, and many other administrative tasks. Call centers are becoming increasingly unpopular due to the many problems that come with them such as long agent training, long waiting times, expensive setup, ineffective working hours, patients being switched from one agent to another, long menus, and so on.

In addition to the automation of many tasks and help with administrative tasks, AI can help health clinics communicate with patients. Using a natural language processing engine that is built to handle and manage healthcare interactions with patients will create a stronger bond between health clinics and patients. Furthermore, the overall outreach of a clinic has also increased. What this means essentially is that thanks to AI and digitalization, health clinics can reach patients living in remote areas easier.

What's more, AI helps with the planning, diagnosis, and prognosis of patients. All of this makes medical care more efficient, reduces costs, and allows for remote analysis of the results. Telemedicine is something that is only possible with the use of new digital technologies such as AI designed for healthcare interactions.

The need for proper implementation

To sum up this brief overview of the use of AI in health in America, we can see that there are many things that health clinics can do better and more efficiently with the use of AI technologies such as natural language processing and machine learning. An important thing to note, however, is that having an adequate infrastructure is needed in order to have success in digitizing healthcare using AI and telemedicine. A trained team of experts who are dedicated and have experience is needed to be behind the AI of any health clinic at all times. They are the ones who train AI and set it up so that everything functions perfectly.

Another important thing to note is that the regulations must allow the optimal use of a model of AI in order for it to be successfully implemented in health. Medical staff also needs to get training around the use of AI. However, by following these few essential steps of AI implementation, benefits for both health clinics and patients will be incredible, as many results have shown so far with the use of our natural language processing engine Patricia. Most importantly, patients can enjoy a much safer, more efficient, and more satisfying healthcare journey with the proper implementation and use of AI in healthcare.