AI in Medicine: The Role of Healthcare Professionals in Shaping the Future  | The Rounds

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform healthcare in ways we are only beginning to understand. From improving diagnostics and personalizing treatments to automating administrative tasks, AI offers a variety of benefits that can revolutionize patient care. However, this transformation requires active participation from healthcare professionals—physicians, pharmacists, and others—who must drive ethical and effective AI implementation. 

See also Dr. Chintan Dave Video Series: AI in Healthcare: Revolutionizing Patient Care and Why Healthcare Workers Must Drive the Change

Understanding the Basics of AI in Healthcare 

Healthcare professionals are aware of AI’s growing presence, but understanding its foundational concepts is critical for those seeking to adopt and adapt it within medical settings. AI in healthcare refers to the use of machine learning algorithms, data processing, and automation to improve medical outcomes. AI functions by analyzing vast amounts of data—ranging from patient records to medical images—to identify patterns and make predictions. These AI-driven insights assist healthcare professionals in decision-making and enhance patient care. 

Canada: Physicians and AI Report 2024 revealed that 72% of Canadian physicians believe it is “very important” for doctors to become educated about AI in the medical field, with 26% saying it is “somewhat important”. As AI becomes more integrated into medical settings, healthcare workers must understand the technology’s fundamentals to maximize its effectiveness. 

*Prefer to Listen? Try the AI-generated podcast. For those who prefer to consume information through audio, we've used Google's NotebookLM to transform this article into a short podcast episode, featuring a natural conversation between two AI hosts. Disclaimer: This podcast was generated by AI based on this written article and reviewed by The Rounds to ensure ethical and responsible AI use. It's designed to provide an efficient, more inclusive way to consume information.

Identifying the Major Applications of AI in Healthcare 

AI is already being used in several critical areas within healthcare: 

• Diagnostics: AI tools can analyze medical images, helping radiologists detect diseases such as cancer or pneumonia faster and with higher accuracy. 

• Personalized Medicine: AI can analyze genetic information to tailor treatments, especially in fields like oncology. 

• Operational Efficiency: From patient scheduling to streamlining workflows, AI can optimize administrative tasks, reducing delays and increasing efficiency. 

Canadian physicians have expressed interest in using AI for administrative tasks, with 78% considering AI for office tasks and 74% for summarizing patient records. AI’s potential to reduce the administrative load is one of its most promising applications. 

Exploring the Impact of AI on Patient Outcomes and Clinical Workflow 

AI holds the potential to revolutionize both patient outcomes and clinical workflows by: 

1. Improving Decision-Making: AI helps healthcare providers make data-driven decisions, improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment plans. 

2. Optimizing Clinical Workflows: By automating time-consuming administrative tasks, AI frees up healthcare professionals to spend more time with patients. According to Google Cloud’s report, clinicians spend nearly 28 hours per week on administrative tasks, with 8.8 hours on documentation alone. Reducing this burden can dramatically improve patient care. 

In fact, 93% of clinicians agree that reducing administrative tasks would allow them to spend more time with patients, thus improving the quality of care. AI can streamline tasks such as patient scheduling, claims processing, and documentation, improving both patient satisfaction and clinical efficiency. 

Understanding the Ethical Implications of AI in Healthcare 

While AI offers many benefits, it also raises important ethical concerns: 

• Data Privacy: Healthcare AI systems rely on large datasets, often containing sensitive patient information. Protecting this data is paramount to maintaining patient trust. 

• Algorithmic Bias: AI models are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on. If the training data reflects existing biases, AI could perpetuate these inequalities in patient care. 

• Transparency: Patients should be informed when AI is used in their care, especially for administrative tasks or decision-making. A survey by Google Cloud found that 80% of patients want transparency about AI usage in healthcare. 

Healthcare professionals must advocate for ethical AI use, ensuring it enhances rather than compromises patient-centered care. 

Google Cloud’s report emphasizes that AI can support healthcare workers by reducing administrative tasks while keeping a “human in the loop” to verify accuracy and ensure ethical use.

The Role of Healthcare Professionals in AI Adoption 

The involvement of healthcare professionals is not just beneficial—it’s essential for AI to succeed in healthcare. From providing critical insights into the clinical relevance of AI systems to ensuring ethical standards, healthcare professionals must be part of the AI conversation. Healthcare professionals are the gatekeepers of AI’s success in healthcare. They are critical in ensuring that AI is implemented in ways that are clinically relevant and ethically sound. 

According to Canada: Physicians and AI Report 2024, nearly 50% of Canadian physicians are enthusiastic about AI’s potential, but 42% are resistant to using it during direct patient care. This highlights the need for healthcare workers to actively engage with AI technology to ensure it is used in ways that benefit both patients and practitioners. 

Opportunities for Healthcare Professionals to Contribute to AI Development 

Healthcare professionals can influence AI’s development in several key ways: 

1. Contributing Clinical Insights: Clinicians provide valuable input on how AI tools can be adapted to meet real-world medical challenges. 

2. Participating in AI Research: Healthcare workers can collaborate with tech developers, helping to train AI models using accurate, diverse data. 

3. Engaging in Ethical Oversight: Healthcare professionals must play a role in ensuring AI tools are deployed in an ethically responsible way, particularly regarding patient privacy and algorithmic bias. 

How to Get Started with AI in Healthcare 

For healthcare professionals wondering how to engage with AI, the road to AI adoption doesn’t have to be daunting. Healthcare workers can start by familiarizing themselves with existing AI tools, participating in pilot programs, and staying updated on AI research. Whether it’s using AI for clinical documentation or patient scheduling, there are numerous ways healthcare professionals can integrate AI into their workflows today. 

Conclusion 

AI is revolutionizing healthcare, but its full potential can only be realized if healthcare professionals lead the charge. By understanding AI’s basics, exploring its applications, and addressing its ethical concerns, healthcare workers can ensure that AI enhances patient care rather than detracting from it.  

To learn more on this topic, register for this upcoming Vital Views Video Series on November 18th, AI in Healthcare: Revolutionizing Patient Care and Why Healthcare Workers Must Drive the Change* with Dr. Chintan Dave. He will discuss how healthcare professionals can play an active role in AI’s future in healthcare. 

*Event exclusive for healthcare professionals

Sources: 

Canada: Physicians and AI Report 2024 

Google Cloud, Measuring the Administrative Burden on U.S. Healthcare Workers—and How Generative AI Can Help.

*some of the photos are AI-generated.