Robotics technology is rapidly changing health care. The impact it is having on the field of medicine is significant. The potential for both AI and robotics in healthcare is vast. From patient care to drug discovery methodologies, AI is transforming the entire healthcare industry.
Artificial intelligence systems are getting increasingly sophisticated. They are able to efficiently conduct tasks that were traditionally done by humans at a much lower cost. AI and robots are increasingly becoming a part of our healthcare ecosystem. The AI sector in healthcare is expected to reach $36.1 billion by 2025.
If used properly AI integrated with MI can do wonders for healthcare. Here are some of the ways AI and robotics are advancing the healthcare sector today:
1. Personal assistants
There are numerous AI-powered healthcare apps on the app store. These apps can provide educational materials, resolve health queries, provide medication reminders which can act as personal assistants for users. Some apps now have the voice assistant feature that can enable the user to converse with the application. Users can always stay connected with their personal assistant for any health-related questions.
2. Chatbots
Hospitals and other healthcare providers are increasingly replacing phone-call-based customer service with chatbots. AI integrated into chatbots can solve patient questions 24 x 7. Users can schedule their appointment with the doctor and the chatbots will analyze the calendar of the doctor and provide the appropriate time to the patient. Every service including billing is processed much faster by chatbots.
3. Supplementary robots
There are instances in hospitals where multiple patients need immediate help, this is very common in times of epidemics and pandemics. In such cases, the team will have to attend to the patients rather than carrying out other jobs. This is where supplementary robots come in. They can quickly focus on tasks such as restocking, cleaning, clearing the garbage, disinfecting, and more. An example of a supplementary robot is a UV light disinfectant which provides a measured dose of UVC to disinfect spaces in hospitals.
4. Precision
Robots can perform tasks with intense precision. Supported by AI these robots can be utilized to do micro-surgeries like unclogging blood vessels. Robotic systems do not have feelings, will not get tired which means there is never a slip of attention. They can bridge the gap between humans and machines. Micro-robots can go precisely where they are needed and deploy drugs etc.
5. Diagnostics
Artificial intelligence systems can detect patterns that describe various conditions by studying healthcare records and other data. They can scan thousands of cases and look for correlations between hundreds of variables. They can provide a clear picture of the different anomalies that once remained unclear, anomalies that the human eye cannot detect. In some areas, they can even surpass the best doctors.
6. Remote treatment
The merging of microbots and AI have turned healthcare upside down. Healthcare technology is reshaping hospitals. Remote technology is being used more where patients can be monitored at their homes by medical staff. AI-enhanced imaging devices enable them to do so. This can drastically change the hospital environment, with only critical patients being admitted and others taking treatment at home. This can be very useful during times like now, where people are scared to visit hospitals. Another type of remote healthcare robot is a simple bot-pill that performs an endoscopy in a much more comfortable way. The pill will send pictures of your intestines as it travels and later can be eliminated naturally.
7. Assisting patients and doctors
Some robots are made to help patients. They can help paralyzed patients walk again and be independent of caretakers. This helps the doctors and other healthcare personnel concentrate on other facets of the hospital. Prior to the arrival of AI and Robots tasks such as helping the patient walk, helping the patient to get his/her checkup was all done by the staff. These were very time-consuming. Now, these can be automated and completed quickly by machines. Today robots are assisting people from small surgeries to highly complex ones. Another application is a smart prosthesis. These bionic limbs have sensors that can make them more reactive and accurate than the original body parts thus providing the consumer more comfort.
8. Augmenting mental health
Robots can perform human functions like making elderly patients feel less lonely. Companion robots can help patients stay positive which is especially helpful to depressed patients. In times like this where there is an epidemic of loneliness, conversational robots with built-in personality and sentiment analysis capabilities can play a vital role in providing company and improving the mental health of sick patients.
9. Research
One of the recent applications of AI in healthcare is drug research and discovery. AI is being used to streamline drug discovery and repurposing which has a great potential to cut the time to market new drugs and also costs can be brought down. Leading pharmaceutical companies have started using AI to find drug solutions. For e.g. Pfizer is using IBM Watson, a system that uses AI to power its search for immuno-oncology drugs.
10. Training
AI allows medical staff in training to go through naturalistic simulations in ways that simple computer-driven algorithms cannot. The ability of an AI computer to draw instantly on a large database of scenarios helps in more effective training. Training can also be done anywhere with the power of AI embedded on a smartphone, the trainee can catch up on sessions even while traveling or after a tricky case in the clinic.
11. End of life care
As we approach the end of life we are dying in a different and slower way than previous generations from conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia, etc. It is a phase of life that is often plagued by loneliness. AI and robots can revolutionize end-of-life care, helping people remain independent for longer and reducing the need for hospitalization and care homes. Humanoid robots can have conversations and other social interactions thus helping to keep the aging minds sharp and free from depression.
Moving forward
As seen above healthcare is witnessing tremendous benefits from the applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics. It has enabled clinicians and healthcare providers to automate their services and deliver world-class treatment. The future of AI and robotics in the healthcare industry is quite promising.
If you would like to know more about robotics software development contact us at SDI. We build unique and proprietary AI solutions that will enhance the value of your healthcare industry. Call us at 408.621.8481 or email us at team@sdi.la
