The Balancing Act of AI in Healthcare

by Carla Wong, Incandescent Review Staff Writer

Medicine is arguably a necessity for sustaining human life. Vaccines and antibiotics have eradicated many causes of early death as seen in the past, increasing life expectancy and most importantly, enhancing the quality of life. However, in contrast to the early 19th century, much has changed in how we now treat diseases. A major contributing factor is the development of artificial intelligence(AI), starting in the 1950s, and progressing to the widely known AI chatbots of today. While AI in medicine helps diagnose diseases and is used in drug discovery, it has undoubtedly raised concerns regarding the roles of healthcare workers who may be impacted by the change in medicinal roles. 

Version of this Image from Cleveland Health Clinic's website

Despite the irreplaceable nature of most healthcare workers such as nurses and doctors in the medical field, AI will inevitably change some aspects of healthcare delivery. For instance, a major role AI plays in the medical field is drug development. Pharmaceutical companies are attempting to industrialise drug discovery by speeding up the process of clinical trials (clinical trials take on average 6-7 years) and designing more effective drugs with fewer side effects. A leading example of this is AlphaFold. AlphaFold is an AI program developed by Google Deepmind which can predict a protein's 3D structure based on its amino acid sequence. This is a significant discovery considering proteins are essential for human life. This means that the program could speed up the development of life-saving treatments, completely changing the roles of researchers in the field as they can utilise AI to their advantage. 

Another example of AI in healthcare is robotic surgery. With the increase in precision and efficiency, patients are positively benefited in their surgical outcomes, For starters, robotic surgery significantly mitigates human error. To no surprise, robotic arms are more reliable in surgery as the robotic arm does not tremor from fatigue, ensuring steady movements throughout the surgical procedure. In addition, a 3D camera system is used to provide a clear and detailed view of the surgical site, reducing the chances of human error caused by obscured visibility. However, despite its perfect appeal, robotic surgery does have its flaws. The biggest issue currently is the high cost of robotic machinery, meaning that robotic surgery may not be accessible in developing countries or smaller-scale hospitals. 

Setting aside the positive impacts of AI usage, there is much to consider in terms of suitability in using AI in a healthcare setting. A major aspect to consider is the authentic nature of a doctor-patient relationship which cannot be replaced by AI. Unquestionably the human touch remains crucial in terms of doctor-patient interactions. While AI is able to process data and make accurate predictions for patients, it is unable to show empathy and understanding on a patient-by-patient basis (87% of patients surveyed believed that a strong relationship with their doctor has had a positive impact on their healthcare experience). It is significantly important to acknowledge the vulnerability of patients during their healthcare experience which is still limited for AI as genuine emotions cannot be truly replicated. 

Another ethical issue regarding the role of AI in healthcare is the confidentiality of patient data. The privacy of personal information is not only a moral obligation to keep patients safe but also a legal one. While emotional support for patients is important to build trust in a doctor-patient relationship, patient confidentiality is vital to reassure patients. This includes information such as date of birth, medical history, allergies, genetic information and so on. From a confidentiality point of view, AI introduces multiple challenges. For instance, there is concern in regards to data privacy breaches during cyber attacks An example of this is the data breach in a health insurance company Anthem in 2015. Due to a cyberattack, the personal information (names, social security numbers, home addresses) of over 78 million people was compromised, which in turn puts into perspective, the large-scale vulnerability of these AI systems that puts patients at a higher risk. 

AI was initially designed to allow computers to mimic human behaviour so its usage should not be seen as an isolated entity, but instead as a bridge that connects human emotions with computer efficiency. This powerful combination is vital in a healthcare setting, to speed up administration tasks and to improve the quality of healthcare services. For instance, AI tools can be utilised to schedule appointments for patients which is able to reduce wait times and increase patient satisfaction. In addition, not only are patients benefiting from AI usage, but also healthcare professionals. According to a government review in the UK, doctors and nurses spend up to 10 hours a week on administrative work which is extremely tedious and repetitive. With the addition of AI reassurance, healthcare professionals can focus on more critical aspects of their roles. This may include things such as checking up on their patients and making complex decisions regarding a patient’s treatment which cannot be replaced by AI.

To conclude, AI can be extremely beneficial in a healthcare setting when coinciding with the role of healthcare workers. The acceptance of AI usage in hospitals is quite high for hospital staff in the UK with 76% supporting its usage. This may seem alarming for patients who still lack trust in its abilities as 20% of patients in a survey would refuse to be treated using AI-based systems. Despite these uncertainties, it is evident that there is a growing trend of AI usage which is ultimately unavoidable even in the medical field. The assistance AI will bring to the healthcare sector is undeniable, and it will continue to work alongside healthcare providers to exponentially improve the quality of care for patients as long as the significance of human empathy and emotions are not forgotten.

Reference list

Heaven, W.D. (2023). AI is dreaming up drugs that no one has ever seen. Now we’ve got to see if they work. [online] MIT Technology Review. Available at: https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/02/15/1067904/ai-automation-drug-development/.

Ryerson, N. (2023). How Long Do Clinical Trial Phases Take? [online] www.antidote.me. Available at: https://www.antidote.me/blog/how-long-do-clinical-trial-phases-take.

Tableau (2023). What is the history of artificial intelligence (AI)? [online] Tableau. Available at: https://www.tableau.com/data-insights/ai/history.

www.tebra.com. (n.d.). The doctor-patient relationship: 8 ways to improve patient retention. [online] Available at: https://www.tebra.com/theintake/patient-experience/patient-scheduling-retention/what-makes-a-good-doctor-patient-relationship.