Do you work in the healthcare industry? Do you market to healthcare providers? Are you worried about AI (artificial intelligence) replacing your job? Relax – your job is safe. For now. Here’s why…
AI is already transforming the healthcare industry. It’s streamlining administrative tasks and answering patient questions. It’s helping healthcare providers deliver real-time data, like monitoring a patients vital signs, and alerting doctors if there are sudden changes.
But AI hasn’t replaced the human touch – and that’s the essence of the industry. While AI algorithms can provide valuable assistance and support, it lacks the empathy and personal touch necessary for quality medical care.
Humans still play a critical role in healthcare, and the integration of AI must be done in a way that enhances, not replaces, their work.
HUMAN INTERACTION
Nothing can replace the human touch when it comes to healthcare and wellness. A doctor, nurse or medical assistant brings a special rapport and empathy to a patient that AI is incapable of – at least for now.
AI doesn’t understand a patient’s emotional and psychological needs, essential for building trust and creating a healing relationship. Patients expect medical information from human clinicians, not machines. They want personal conversations and individualized attention and care.
AI BIAS
AI algorithms are only as objective as their training data. If the data used in the AI system is biased, the system will also be biased, which could lead to incorrect, even dangerous outcomes.
According to Dr. Harvey Castro, renowned physician and health care consultant, AI is limited in its ability to understand the context in which medical decisions are made. It may not be able to explain patient-specific circumstances, cultural differences, or other factors that are important in decision-making.
MEDICAL ERRORS
AI systems can make errors, and it isn’t easy to hold them accountable when they do. Unlike human clinicians, AI systems cannot be sued or held responsible for medical malpractice.
This can lead to surgical error and patient physical injury. A patient may also be misdiagnosed due to speech recognition failures due to variations in speaker accents or dialects. These misdiagnoses may result in AI recommending the wrong drug to a patient or predicting incorrect drug side effects.
DATA PRIVACY
One of the biggest risks is the potential for data breaches. As health care providers create, store, and transmit large quantities of sensitive patient data, they become targets for cybercriminals. Hackers can attack vulnerabilities anywhere along the AI pipeline. All your medical information could be at risk. Patients may be hesitant to share their medical information with AI systems if they’re not confident their data will be protected
We’ve only scratched the surface – and haven’t even discussed the possibilities of AI and healthcare in the future. According to some experts, AI will eventually replace doctors.
So there you go. If you’re in the healthcare industry, just get to work on time, do a good job, don’t screw up, and your job will be safe.
