Nurses throughout the country are likely thinking the same thing when they see this headline: not another post about AI in healthcare. The reality is artificial intelligence (AI) taking a role within the healthcare marketplace has become much more plausible in recent years then every before. Some practices already use various forms of AI to help provide care and experts predict that reliance on AI will only increase in coming years.
Some examples of current uses include:
- Imaging. AI programs are scanning images and helping cardiologists and radiologists identify the most critical cases. This can help medical professionals to provide more efficient case triage. AI can also analyze full body MRI scans as part of a preventative health screening practice.
- Prescription management. AI also helps physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals manage patients’ medication needs by analyzing current medications and noting potential negative outcomes.
- Administrative tasks. Software can also help to manage health records and payment options, allowing healthcare professionals to focus on the patient and not the more mundane tasks associated with running a practice or healthcare facility.
In none of these examples has AI replaced a medical professional. Instead, it is used as a tool to supplement care.
The examples all provide a broad idea of the role of AI in healthcare but what about the more specific? What about the potential for AI to replace nurses? Although it is likely AI will play more and more of a role in nursing it is highly unlikely that robotics will take the place of human nursing staff. Instead, nursing professionals will likely use AI to supplement their professional tasks in much the same way we saw outlined in the examples discussed above. Ideally, AI will serve to take some tasks of a nurse’s plate and allow the nurse to focus in on what they trained to do: provide quality care for their patients.
Attorney John Rivas is responsible for this communication.
