Artificial intelligence is one of the most rapidly growing aspects of tech, and in a well-funded industry like the medical industry, new adaptations are helping with efficiency and precision. Ultimately, artificial intelligence is changing healthcare for good, but there are some growing pains as well. Many of those affect the healthcare workers whose jobs are affected the most by artificial intelligence (or some form of technological advancement).
In 2020 investments in artificial intelligence specifically for the healthcare industry topped $6.7 billion, and that number is expected to grow each year for the foreseeable future. AI has helped with almost all aspects of healthcare, from financial to prescriptions to surgery, and much more. Here is a look at four fields that have been recently affected by artificial intelligence.
Virology
Certainly, a field with a lot of recent applicable data, virology evolutions catalyzed by artificial intelligence are aplenty, and many of the vaccinations have artificial intelligence and machine learning to thank, at least in part. With that, however, an event as monumental as the COVID pandemic is going to cause a change in the field of science focused on viruses. With that, virologists will need to evolve and team up with more data analysts to continue to combat the COVID variants, and hopefully develop preventive means such as yearly vaccinations like those administered for the flu.
Surgery
Artificial intelligence is also the brain behind things like robot-assisted surgeries, and by 2025, the robot surgery market is expected to pass $7 billion. In addition to the obvious things like no dependence on human dexterity, and “no bad days” for robots, robot-assisted surgery also helps decrease the risk of infection and lowers the noticeability of scars in many situations.
Though some argue that these robots will replace doctors, the vast majority of industry professionals agree that it will simply change the role of the doctor when it comes to the actual operation. Consultations, discussions about preferences, inspections of the surgeries, and directing what the machines will do will all still lie on the shoulders of doctors.
Even after the pandemic, social distancing has proved to reduce the transmission of other diseases in the hospital setting. Robot-assisted surgery also allows for the continuation of distancing even after the COVI pandemic has ceased.
Consultation
For many doctors who don’t need to do any sort of hands-on treatment with a given patient, telehealth is also expected to continue being offered after it is no longer a necessity due to overflow issues caused by the pandemic. Artificial intelligence comes into play because telehealth programs allow doctors to immediately input information from a given conference directly to an electronic health record. AI can then compare this information to similar patients to help inform doctors with their consultations.
With that, many individuals, especially in the younger generations who are generally more tech-savvy are starting to seek out telehealth options for consultation services. For healthcare professionals whose work can be completed via video conference, learning how to do this makes you more available to a huge number of potential clients or patients.
It may become a job requirement for those in large hospital systems to become familiar with telehealth communications and do some of your duties that way, moving forward.
Education
From nursing degrees to doctorates, utilizing artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger and more significant portion of the curriculum. With this, young professionals may have a wider breadth of knowledge on using data and AI, so self-education is recommended to anyone who works in a place that doesn’t have a training program that focuses on technology. Ultimately, a more comprehensive knowledge of AI is beneficial for patients and the healthcare field.
Constant Evolution in the Medical Industry
This list didn’t even touch on how AI affects finances, but every aspect of it is helping to lower costs for patients. Ultimately, the greater the dependence on AI, the more job evolution will rise, but most healthcare professionals can rest assured that their jobs are simply evolving and not going away.
