Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days, including healthcare. With a projected thirteen million shortfall of nurses by 20301 the timing could not be better for advances of AI in healthcare.
For healthcare, artificial intelligence offers a means of addressing the challenges brought on by the current nursing shortage. Automation and AI enabled devices can increase efficiencies and bolster the capabilities of staff.
It can simplify administrative tasks, speed up the delivery of treatment, and allow healthcare staff to spend more time with patients.
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
Artificial Intelligence in Radiology
Image recognition algorithms powered by AI can analyze X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. These analyses improve efficiency and expedite the interpretation process by assisting radiologists in identifying abnormalities for more accurate diagnoses.
Given that recent studies2 have shown that half or more of the radiologists practicing in the United States experience chronic work-related exhaustion and reduced efficiency, medical AI is poised to be an invaluable tool for radiology departments and facilities.
Artificial Intelligence Vital Signs Monitoring
Monitoring vital signs is a requirement in the acute care setting and is becoming more common among people with chronic health conditions through the technology of wearable devices. Automated AI enabled remote patient monitoring systems analyze continuously collected data and can notify healthcare staff when an abnormality is detected. The abnormality can then be addressed efficiently and quickly before it becomes a significant problem. In the hospital setting, patients benefit as well from sleep uninterrupted by caregivers checking vitals every few hours.
Artificial Intelligence in Electronic Health Records
Medical AI depends heavily on the data in Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. With so many diagnostic and measurement devices sending readings directly to EHRs it is no surprise that automation and AI work in tandem. AI algorithms can analyze patient records to detect errors, like a medication error, efficiently and accurately freeing healthcare staff to focus on patient care.
Additionally, Artificial Intelligence in the healthcare environment analyzes the collected information and uses it to offer diagnoses and treatment options to doctors and other healthcare professionals.
AI chatbots free nursing staff to attend to patients by collecting intake information prior to visits and scheduling other appointments.
Voice-to-text transcriptions have their roots in AI. Doctors and other healthcare professionals save incalculable amounts of time simply speaking their notes, pharmaceutical prescriptions, and test orders into patient records. Additionally, AI allows healthcare staff looking for information to go directly to the salient portions of a patient’s history simply by typing a few key words.
Artificial Intelligence in Nursing
Finally, Virtual Nursing Assistants use natural language processing (NLP) to understand and process patient questions. Based on the patient’s electronic health record, the wider body of clinical practice guidelines, physician notes, and test results AI will offer an answer to a patient. In some scenarios the answer provided can preempt an unnecessary trip to the hospital. In the big picture this is a benefit to both the patient and the medical staff.
AI is also used by nurses as a clinical decision support tool. Artificial Intelligence does the heavy lifting associated with collecting and analyzing data to offer a diagnosis or treatment plan, freeing staff to administer the treatments more quickly.
While automation and AI can help streamline workflows and increase efficiencies it can never replace the people who care for us.
AI cannot offer a smile to brighten a patient’s day.
Neither is it infallible.
Healthcare professionals will always need to check and confirm information offered by AI.
CME Medical Equipment Distributor
CME professionals can help IDNs, hospitals, and clinics select medical equipment ready to be connected to the EMR/EHR systems that are an integral part of the larger AI technology.
Equipment like diagnostic wall systems for quick physical exams, ECGs, and scales.
As a nationwide medical equipment distributor, we have relationships with over 2,000 manufacturers and can work with them to offer you the best equipment for your budget and needs.
Click the CHAT and talk to a CME expert about your needs.
1. Almendral, Aurora, The world could be short of 13 million nurses in 2030 - here's why, World Economic Forum, January 2022.
2. https://www.philips.com/a-w/about/news/archive/features/2023/20230116-10-healthcare-technology-trends-for-2023.html
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers. With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.
