AI personalizes healthcare, transforms care delivery and saves lives

Technology has been the enabler of healthcare for years. From large organizations to small clinics, providers in different parts of the world have used apps, data management platforms and many other systems as key ways to streamline their operations and achieve better clinical outcomes. Their modernization efforts are still ongoing, but the strategic focus is shifting to one major trend: AI.

At a time when healthcare providers are faced with staff shortages and patients increasingly demand better quality of care, AI is seen as the solution. The technology, which can leverage large data repositories, including patient-specific data, can personalize healthcare delivery. This could ultimately change the way healthcare providers diagnose, treat and manage patients, allowing them to move away from generic, one-size-fits-all approaches.

How exactly does AI personalize healthcare?

Although AI has been around for quite some time, the rapid rise of ChatGPT has focused its applications at different levels of the healthcare ecosystem. One of these is diagnostics. AI-powered systems can analyze vast amounts of patient data to provide personalized diagnoses and treatment recommendations. Watson Health, a division of IBM that focuses on the application of AI and data analytics in healthcare, is a leader in this field. Their technology analyzes various patient parameters, including medical history, genetics and disease symptoms, to diagnose the underlying condition and provide personalized treatment recommendations.

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical OncologyWatson Health’s oncology-specific AI decision support system achieved a 93% agreement rate with an expert tumor board’s treatment recommendations. This high level of accuracy shows how AI-powered personalization can improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment effectiveness, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.

In addition to detecting and recommending treatments for persistent problems, AI-powered personalization can also help with preventive care. Essentially, algorithms can analyze daily patient statistics such as SPO2 and BP, among others, and combine them with data related to lifestyle and genetics to predict the chances of a person suffering from a particular health problem – as well as the steps they can take (think specific lifestyle changes) to prevent this.

A study published in PLOS One showed that an AI-driven approach could lead to a reduction in hospital readmissions and emergency room visits. This not only shifts patients’ focus from reactive treatment to proactive prevention, but also saves healthcare providers resources that would otherwise be spent on extensive follow-ups or treatment.

However, personalizing prevention, diagnosis and treatments is only a small piece of the healthcare puzzle.

AI also plays a crucial role in personalizing medical prescriptions, an area where 100% precision is critical. Incorrect drug prescriptions can, in some extreme cases, lead to side effects and even fatalities. A 2016 study by Johns Hopkins University Medical School found that medical errors, including incorrect prescriptions, are responsible for more than 250,000 deaths annually in the US alone.

Fortunately, AI-powered tools can address this problem by analyzing factors such as patients’ genetic makeup and medical history to predict how they will respond to specific medications. This allows healthcare providers to tailor prescriptions individually to each patient, significantly reducing the risk of side effects and improving treatment efficacy.

Streamlining administrative processes

While clinical care is at the forefront of AI personalization, the technology is also improving healthcare administrative processes. It simplifies tasks such as appointment scheduling, billing and assistance, making them more personalized and efficient.

Zodoc, an online platform for booking medical appointments, is the best example of AI helping with administrative tasks. The company’s platform uses machine learning to ensure appointments are seamlessly integrated into providers’ schedules, potentially reducing patient wait times and increasing the likelihood of timely care. It even helps patients check their healthcare coverage and estimate the total treatment cost by simply taking a photo of their health card. Another player in the category is Nablathat uses LLMs to generate clinical notes based on doctor-patient interactions, saving the effort of manually documenting the information.

Remarkable, generative AI-powered chatbots and agents also transform patient engagement and improve their access to care. They analyze patient data and provide them with access to personalized support 24 hours a day, whether they need help with registration, routing, scheduling or prescription refills. This technology has significantly improved the patient experience, making individuals feel more valued and understood.

Overall, the impact of AI-powered personalization on healthcare is significant and growing. Technology has already improved patient-provider interactions, enabled customized prescriptions and improved preventive care strategies, making healthcare more efficient, effective and patient-focused. As AI continues to develop, its potential to revolutionize healthcare is likely to increase. Future developments could include further personalization of treatment plans and deeper integration of AI into all aspects of healthcare.

However, as these developments take shape, it will be equally important to address the potential challenges associated with AI, especially the privacy and security of healthcare data used by AI models. Organizations using these tools should strive to maintain the human touch in patient care and help address potential biases in AI algorithms. It will all come down to how they work with companies that develop these tools and the governments that define the regulations for their use.

In the long term, the potential benefits of AI-powered personalization in healthcare will be enormous. By embracing this technology responsibly and ethically, the healthcare industry can evolve towards a future where truly personalized care is the norm, leading to better health outcomes for all.