The use of artificial intelligence is increasing, but the impact on health is still limited, according to a new study

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fueling a new revolution in medicine and healthcare, primarily for image analysis and disease modeling, but its impact on human health is still limited, according to a new study by the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia and the World Health Organization. In International Journal of Medical Informatics.

AI is used in healthcare in a variety of ways, from molecular and genetic testing to medical imaging, diagnostic code analysis, and in infectious disease outbreak predictions such as health emergency response programs. However, its application remains limited and is mostly used only in laboratories and trials, the study says: “Despite the rapid development and high level of maturity of AI in some clinical domains, systematic reviews conclude its use. AI is still very rare in clinical practice.

Dr. Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of the Country Health Policies and Systems Unit at WHO/Europe and Dr. David Novillo-Ortiz, Regional Advisor on Information and Digital Health, are among the editors of the journal, along with university experts. Politècnica de València in Spain. The paper reviewed 129 studies and systematic reviews to reach its conclusions.

Digital data interventions can improve public health

AI can provide powerful tools to automate and support tasks and inform clinicians, epidemiologists, and policymakers about the most efficient strategies to promote health at the population and individual levels, the paper says.

Looking ahead, the paper also notes that the use of digital data has the potential to improve people’s health and safety and better protect against emergencies. At the same time, he says, digital information should be improved using “machine learning algorithms based on population, big data and clinical decisions using new communication technologies”.

Most reviews have concluded that AI and machine learning “will play an important role in helping clinicians identify specific indicators,” leading to better diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, but methodological aspects must be properly considered to make real progress in the use of science. , universal health care.

Healthcare systems can improve the quality of universal health coverage and better respond to emergencies through AI modeling in the future, the authors say.

In the same way, the World Health Organization / Europe reported earlier this year that “the development of big data and artificial intelligence has opened up new opportunities to manage health and fight non-communicable diseases or NCDs”.