Artificial intelligence (AI) is now an essential tool
in more and more industries, and the healthcare sector is no exception. Health has also been identified by the government as one of the priority sectors in which to develop AI.
We take stock of the benefits, opportunities, challenges and issues related to the use of AI in healthcare.
What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence, which appeared in the 1950s, is a set of techniques aimed at imitating human intelligence, through the creation of algorithms and the use of big data. This process makes it possible to mimic intrinsically human behaviors (creativity, reasoning, planning, etc.).
The use of AI can, for example, be translated through technologies such as voice recognition, robotics, artificial vision, voice assistants, 3D printers and other connected objects…
How is AI used in healthcare?
In the field of health, digital data is becoming more and more important (medical records, reports, protocols, health insurance records, research programs, etc.).
Thanks to the exploitation and analysis of this cross-referenced data, artificial intelligence can be used in the field of health:
- to facilitate, speed up and improve the accuracy of medical diagnoses
- to simplify the management and processing of patient data and their medical history
- as a diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making tool (personalized treatments of diseases, medications, mental health, etc.)
- for predictive medicine (prediction of a disease, its evolution, etc.)
- to facilitate imaging analysis (MRI, X-rays, CT scans, etc.)
- to monitor patients’ health status
- to develop access to healthcare in rural areas
- to simplify the care pathway and automate administrative tasks
- for public health prevention and anticipating the risks associated with epidemics
- for computer-assisted surgery
- to accelerate research and clinical trials
- to facilitate pharmaceutical research and accelerate drug development
- to facilitate and improve the quality of clinical care
- to simplify the management of healthcare facilities (hospitals, clinics, etc.)
- to lighten the workload of health professionals, nurses, caregivers and empower time-consuming and repetitive tasks.
- to limit medical errors
- to monitor patients remotely
- for the creation of companion robots for the elderly, smart prostheses…
- to improve patients’ quality of life
- to develop and improve the provision of care
- …
Artificial intelligence tools can therefore be very useful in all medical specialties in a hospital sector (imaging, oncology, general medicine, geriatrics, etc.).
In France, nearly 240 startups are also specialized in digital health and develop artificial intelligence technologies and digitization tools for health actors. These companies offer telemedicine services, decision-making tools, diagnosis, remote monitoring, management of the care pathway, etc.
What are the issues and challenges related to the development of AI in healthcare?
In June 2021, the WHO (World Health Organization) published the first global report on artificial intelligence applied to health.
This report highlights the potential of AI to improve healthcare services around the world, but it also lifts the veil on a number of legal and ethical challenges and risks, such as: the protection of patient data, the collection of unethical data, cybersecurity risks, the responsibility of publishers and integrators towards the patient…
To mitigate these risks, prevent misuse and safeguard human rights and ethics in the design and deployment of AI tools, the WHO imposes several key principles to be respected: protecting human autonomy; promoting people’s well-being and safety; ensuring transparency; encouraging responsibility and accountability; ensuring inclusion and equity…
Even if it is still in its infancy, artificial intelligence in health is becoming an essential ally for doctors, even if it must remain complementary to human expertise.
