Will the health care sector embrace artificial intelligence?
While many U.S. health care leaders expect widespread adoption of AI by 2023, there are trust issues hindering its adoption.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) predicts what you want to buy on Amazon, what show you might want to watch on your favorite streaming service or what news you like to read online. Now it’s making its way into health care.
A new survey from Intel Corp., in association with Convergys Analytics, shows that while many U.S. health care leaders expect widespread adoption of AI by 2023, there are trust issues hindering its adoption. Among the fears sited in the survey, 54 percent believe AI will be responsible for a fatal error, 53 percent agree that AI will be poorly implemented or won’t work properly and 49 percent agree AI will be overhyped and not meet expectations.
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Despite these trust issues, there is still optimism regarding AI’s benefits in the healthcare field. The benefits of AI are widely recognized, with 91 percent of respondents believing it will provide predictive analytics for early intervention, 88 percent saying the technology will improve care, and 83 percent saying it will improve accuracy of medical diagnoses.
“At the end of the day, we are all consumers of healthcare, and we should feel confident that advances in technology can ensure we receive high-quality, affordable care,” said Jennifer Esposito, worldwide general manager of Health and Life Sciences at Intel. “Together, we can ensure patients and providers realize the benefits of AI in healthcare today, building trust and understanding that will help us unlock incredible advances in the future.”
One way in which AI is becoming more accepted within the healthcare space is by using it first for administrative tasks as a gateway that could lead to more usage within the sector. For example, within five years 83 percent will use AI to process medical records, 76 percent see it for analyzing diagnostics or screenings and 68 percent expect more AI to help inform medication and/or prescribing decisions.
Experts believe that in order for trust issues to be resolved and greater widespread usage of AI to be adopted, the following things must occur:
- Addressing the “black box” perception of AI
- Leaning into areas where clinicians are ready for change and fatal error is less likely
- Highlighting benefits for all involved
- Providing input into the regulatory process