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One topic that keeps getting brought up in the healthcare industry is whether or not AI will replace physicians. AI has already made its way into a variety of fields, healthcare included, to the benefit of those working in it. So what is the likelihood that doctors are replaced by AI systems? In this article we’re discussing that and more including:

• If we’ll see AI take the lead in healthcare
• The benefits of AI in healthcare
• Whether or not AI will ever outperform doctors

Although 25% of U.S. hospitals already use some form of AI predictive analysis to help better treat their patients, no one (neither physicians or patients) are comfortable leaving diagnosis and treatment entirely in the hands of AI. There are many benefits of including AI in the healthcare field that range from administrative to highly technical, but was it meant to end up supplanting doctors?

Will AI replace physicians?

What is the likelihood that AI will replace healthcare professionals?

So are doctors going to be replaced by AI? While it may seem intriguing to think about given how AI has transformed how we not only perform our jobs, but go about our daily lives, it is not likely that AI will replace doctors anytime soon. And it was never meant to! It’s important to note that humans and AI can (and do) work very well together, which is the entire reason for creating AI systems—so that they can help us humans. Healthcare is a very people-centric field, and it will always require that human connection between doctor and patient. 

There are a few reasons why AI will not replace physicians entirely.

1. Humans create relationships. The relationship and trust that is built up over time between a doctor and a patient is something that cannot be replicated by an AI system. Most patients want to speak to their physicians, and they want the doctor’s input regarding diagnosis and potential treatment. A patient does not want to interface with an AI system, nor receive care via a computer. Empathizing with each other is something that humans excel at, and is an essential part of the doctor/patient relationship.

2. Healthcare professionals are needed for complex cases. AI is already being used in healthcare to automate tedious and time consuming tasks. It can sift through mountains of healthcare data easily in order to learn how to more efficiently perform repetitive tasks. However, a human will always be needed in case there is something more complex that arises, or requires non-linear ways of thinking. Physicians use their problem solving skills daily, which is something that AI cannot replicate. AI is designed to better perform data-based tasks, which can help providers in many ways.

3. There are tasks that AI cannot do. Although AI can assist specialists in surgery, it is still essential that the surgeon perform and oversee the task. As we progress, the amount of complex tasks that AI can perform will increase, but there will always be some duties that require the skills of a doctor. 

4. AI was designed to augment the tasks of clinicians. It’s important to keep in mind when folks start to worry that AI will replace doctors, that the technology is not designed to do that. It is not humans vs. AI, and there is the most benefit to patients and their care when the two work together. AI can take a variety of repetitive and data-heavy tasks away from healthcare workers, allowing them more time to focus on patients and complex issues and tasks. The roles of clinicians may alter in the future, but we should not be worried about AI completely replacing physicians.

As we mentioned AI is already a part of the healthcare industry, and it’s been helpful for providers of all fields to have a tool they can rely on to improve patient outcomes. You’ll find AI already doing a variety of tasks.

• More accurate diagnosis. The physician can only make a diagnosis and construct a treatment plan when they know how to address the symptoms of the patient. The problem is that sometimes conditions and diseases do not present themselves in a textbook manner, making accurate diagnosis difficult. AI can compare the medical data and symptoms of a patient to an enormous amount of medical literature and previous cases to see if the physician perhaps missed something. It can suggest potential diagnoses and treatment plans based on this type of predictive analysis.

• Improved diagnostic support. Doctors are trained to read diagnostic images such as x-rays, scans, and MRIs in order to look for problem areas. However, using an AI program to scan the images and compare them to others is a much more efficient and accurate way to get to a diagnosis. AI can quickly and competently read diagnostic images and use its databank of information regarding what issues like fractures, tumors, or implants loot like. The pattern recognition allows AI to flag concerns for human review with a higher degree of accuracy than humans.

• Repetitive clerical work. Administrative work can take up the time of clinicians and nurses when they would much rather be caring for patients. There is also a lot of clerical and financial work that needs to be completed with a high degree of accuracy to ensure the healthcare facility is financially stable. AI can automate many of these repetitive tasks such as creating notes for patients’ medical files, accurately coding bills for insurance, streamlining patient check in/checkout, and coordinating follow up care.

• Training and education. Using AI in virtual reality situations is a great way for specialists such as surgeons or medical students to increase their aptitude and learn what areas they can improve in. Having a way to interact with a VR simulation of a complex surgical procedure for example is one way AI can contribute to improving the skills of doctors.

• Improving access to care. AI can improve access to care for patients who otherwise may have to travel far or have limited mobility. Telehealth appointments and the increased accessibility to providers means patients who otherwise might not have received care, now can. 

The benefits of incorporating AI in healthcare

There are a lot of advantages to including AI in healthcare facilities

Most healthcare specialities are already benefiting from greater integration of AI, and facilities of all sizes can take advantage of the pros of this technology. This is not something we can hope for in the future, this is taking place right now, and having an impact on patient care. You’ll find AI functioning in a variety of roles, but its benefits can be narrowed down into three main areas.

Improves patient experience

The number one goal of doctors is to care for their patients in the best way possible. This can mean a lot of different things, from ensuring they are informed and can access information about their health, to improving early detection and treatment. AI is benefiting doctors and patients in all these areas and more. AI can automate the patient journey, ensuring that not only are office visits scheduled correctly, but that patients can speak to their care team and access their health records at home. 

Patients are now more informed about their health, and can make decisions about it accordingly. AI can be used to gather data about the issues facing the patient and automatically send essential information their way. 

Care is much more personalized in this way, from faster diagnostic readings, to using predictive analysis to determine the likelihood one treatment would help more than another based on a patient's own medical history. When personalized treatment plans are available, you can reduce the time patients spend in the hospital or the amount of care they need post-operation. 

Patients are also benefiting from the most advanced technology available to assist doctors in not only diagnosis, but in areas like specialized surgery or monitoring recovery. AI can provide valuable oversight during an operation to ensure the surgeon is on the best possible path to result in a successful operation. It can also monitor the patient during surgery, as well as after surgery, and provide the care team with updated results instantly. 

Reduces the cost of care

AI is able to streamline repetitive processes and improve them so that they operate with great efficiency, using less resources. It’s essential for healthcare facilities to ensure they have the financial stability to continue to serve their patients, and AI is already assisting with the coding and billing aspect of healthcare to reduce the amount of errors and rejected claims. Since it can manage these types of repeated and data-centric tasks so well, it allows the care team members to focus on other parts of their job. Using AI can also eliminate the need to pay for a person to do a certain job (such as a medical scribe) that AI technology can do much better and with a greater degree of accuracy.

AI is not going to replace doctors and other healthcare staff, but because it can streamline inefficient practices, it may cause some positions to become redundant. Instead, the people working in that field can turn their attention and skills to other more complex issues. 

Reduces burnout for physicians and care staff

Using AI as an ambient medical scribe, or as a way to summarize patient emails and interactions can save physicians a lot of time at the end of the day. Using an AI system that keeps all the patients’ EHRs updated and available improves how care teams work together and communicate, so that decisions are made quickly and accurately. Taking some of the administrative burden of healthcare professionals gives them more time to focus on patients, and less time worrying about missing information or entering in the wrong diagnosis or medical code.

What are the drawbacks of AI in healthcare right now?

Although AI continues to help physicians and other healthcare staff, it’s important to keep in mind that there are limitations. A lot of physicians have concerns about patient privacy, and where the patient data AI uses will be taken from. AI can only be as good as the data it is trained on, which inherently include biases. Overcoming those biases and including varied data is key to ensuring everyone receives accurate diagnosis, treatment, and care.

Lots of healthcare facilities are worried about the cost of implementing AI technology, as well as potentially reducing their staff. Upgrades to healthcare systems and proper training can be expensive. 

Additionally, there is always the potential for the AI to get something completely wrong, referred to as a “hallucination,” which occurs when the AI completely misses the mark. This proves how humans are still essential in healthcare for this type of oversight.

Can AI outperform doctors?

AI is not designed to compete with doctors, it is meant to assist with tasks that do not require the creative thinking and problem solving that doctors can do. AI is excellent at improving processes so they are much more efficient, are done quickly, and with a high degree of accuracy. Complex procedures and treatments will always require a doctor to rely on their skills and training to make the best decisions. 

In what ways will you use AI in your healthcare facility?

AI is already a major part of a lot of healthcare facilities, however we should not be worried about it replacing physicians anytime soon. There is always the need for human relationships in healthcare. Is there a repetitive task such as note transcription or automating the patient journey that you think AI can help you out with? Contact us at Playback Health.