It is challenging to forecast precisely what role artificial intelligence (AI) will play in healthcare in 2023 due to the fluid nature of the current technology revolution and the vast number of potential applications for AI in healthcare. But it’s likely that AI will continue to be very important in many facets of healthcare, including but not limited to the following:
Clinical decision support: AI can evaluate vast amounts of patient data and offer suggestions to healthcare professionals, assisting them in making more knowledgeable decisions about patient care, such as referral triggers.
Treatment: AI systems can be trained to identify patterns in medical pictures like X-rays and CT scans to help in disease diagnosis. AI can also be used to find prospective therapy choices and assist clinicians in selecting the best one for a particular patient.
Drug development: By analysing vast volumes of data regarding prospective new medications, AI can be used to help researchers find candidates that have potential for further research.
AI can be used to remotely monitor patients, enabling medical professionals to keep tabs on their progress and take appropriate action as needed.
Health intelligence: AI may be efficiently used to analyse massive data sets, look at disease trends, and detect patterns using predictive modelling.
Healthcare Administration: AI can be used to automate a variety of administrative activities, such keeping electronic medical records and arranging appointments, freeing up time for healthcare professionals to concentrate on patient care. Additionally, dynamic resource reallocations depending on workloads and prediction models are possible.
The function of AI in healthcare and how it is anticipated to develop in the upcoming year
In general, it is expected that AI will continue to play a substantial and expanding role in healthcare in the years to come, aiding in the improvement of patient outcomes and streamlining numerous facets of healthcare delivery.
According to an FDA update from October 2022, 91 (or roughly 17%) of the 521 approved AI/ML capable medical devices were added in 2022. It is interesting to note that the first AI/ML-enabled device was certified in 1995, and that since 2018, there has been an increase that accounts for 85% of approved devices. According to Dr. Satish Jeevanar of AI Health Highway, there will be a 10x-100x increase in the overall applications of AI/ML in healthcare in 2023 as more point-of-care screening and diagnostic devices hit the market, driven by shifting trends following the Covid decision and with policy support from the Government of India.
Data’s function in 2023
In 2023 and beyond, data will probably have a big impact on the healthcare industry since it can be used to guide decisions, increase productivity, and spur innovation in a variety of areas related to healthcare delivery. Overall, data will become increasingly significant in the healthcare industry in 2023, and it will be crucial for healthcare organisations to efficiently manage, gather, and analyse data in order to enhance patient care and results.
Healthcare is most certainly going to generate the most data overall by 2025 of any industry. However, some of the most pressing issues that require attention include interoperability, data privacy, and data sovereignty.
The function of firewalls in securing data
At every point along the healthcare value chain, we require policies that are trustworthy and transparent. Any solution that is designed or integrated must have clear ownership and accountability, with a focus on patient privacy and consent. Along with various firewalls, unambiguous auditing, and clear traceability for the systems, each instance should have encryption and anonymity. The government should support clear policies, and the implementation shouldn’t just be left up to vested-interested private parties. Instead, it needs to have a strong joint effort between academia, industry, and policy.
Large amounts of personal information are contained in healthcare records, and these records must be kept safe while allowing both healthcare professionals and patients lawful access and use. Therefore, best practises must be applied in a proactive manner to secure sensitive data.
To aid in maintaining the security of healthcare data, a variety of firewall types can be utilised, including the following:
Firewalls for networks: These firewalls are employed to prevent unwanted access to networks and to regulate incoming and outgoing traffic.
Application firewalls: These firewalls are used to guard against unwanted access to and assaults on certain servers or apps.
Host-based firewalls: Used to guard against unwanted access and assaults, these firewalls are placed on individual computers or other devices.
A variety of best practises can be followed in addition to the use of firewalls to guarantee that patient data is protected and does not end up in the wrong hands. These are only a few of the recommended practises:
Using secure passwords and keeping them updated on a regular basis can assist to prevent unauthorised access to patient data.
ensuring that all systems and devices receive regular updates and patches: This can aid in preventing vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit.
Putting access constraints in place This can help to ensure that only persons with the proper authorization can access patient data.
Data encryption Data encryption can assist in preventing access by unauthorised parties.
regularly making data backups Data backups on a regular basis can help to guard against data loss brought on by cyberattacks or other disasters.
In order to secure patient data from unauthorised access, it is critical for the government and healthcare institutions to give patient data security top priority and to put as many complete security measures in place as may be required.
The requirement of the hour is for those handling data to be digitally literate.
The term “digital literacy” describes a person’s capacity to utilise, comprehend, and assess digital technology and the information they generate.
Healthcare administrators, IT specialists, and other professionals may also handle healthcare data in the healthcare system. These people must be able to access and manage patient data, interact with patients and coworkers, and decide on patient treatment with the use of digital technologies.
Due to the sensitive nature of healthcare data and the requirement to preserve patient privacy, digital literacy is particularly crucial in the healthcare industry. The numerous laws and regulations governing the use of healthcare data must be understood by those who handle it, and they must also be able to put in place the necessary security measures to safeguard it.
In general, digital literacy is a critical ability for people handling healthcare data, and it is crucial for healthcare organisations to make sure that their staff members have the abilities to use digital technology effectively in their jobs.
Additionally, the patient community needs to be educated about privacy concerns and their “digital” rights, not just the care providers.
The responsibility of governments in enacting data protection regulations for the healthcare sector, as this sector faces the highest threat from cyberattacks of all other sectors.
People’s confidence in security and data privacy directly relates to the trust and adoption of digital health solutions. A few incidences can destroy faith and trust, which will be challenging to rebuild.
To address the particular threats and problems posed by cyberattacks on healthcare, countries must enact specific data protection regulations for the sector. Cybercriminals frequently target healthcare data because it is more sensitive and valuable than data from other businesses. Healthcare information has the potential to be used for financial benefit, but it can also be exploited for evil deeds like identity theft or insurance fraud. Therefore, it is crucial that governments take action to prevent unauthorised access to and exploitation of healthcare data.
It may be possible to ensure that healthcare organisations are held to high standards of data security and that they are held accountable if they fail to protect patient data by implementing particular data protection legislation for the healthcare sector. These rules may also aid in advising healthcare institutions on how to successfully safeguard patient data and defend against cyberattacks.
