Introduction to AI in Healthcare
The next time you’re due for a medical exam you may get a call from someone like Ana: a friendly voice that can help you prepare for your appointment and answer any pressing questions you might have. With her calm, warm demeanor, Ana has been trained to put patients at ease — like many nurses across the U.S. But unlike them, she is also available to chat 24-7, in multiple languages, from Hindi to Haitian Creole. That’s because Ana isn’t human, but an artificial intelligence program created by Hippocratic AI, one of a number of new companies offering ways to automate time-consuming tasks usually performed by nurses and medical assistants.
AI’s Role in Hospital Care
It’s the most visible sign of AI’s inroads into health care, where hundreds of hospitals are using increasingly sophisticated computer programs to monitor patients’ vital signs, flag emergency situations and trigger step-by-step action plans for care — jobs that were all previously handled by nurses and other health professionals. Hospitals say AI is helping their nurses work more efficiently while addressing burnout and understaffing. But nursing unions argue that this poorly understood technology is overriding nurses’ expertise and degrading the quality of care patients receive.
Concerns from Nursing Unions
“Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses,” said Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United. “The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers.” Mahon’s group, the largest nursing union in the U.S., has helped organize more than 20 demonstrations at hospitals across the country, pushing for the right to have say in how AI can be used — and protection from discipline if they decide to disregard automated advice.
AI-Generated False Alarms and Dangerous Advice
AI in the hospital can generate false alarms and dangerous advice. Hospitals have been experimenting for years with technology designed to improve care and streamline costs, including sensors, microphones and motion-sensing cameras. Now that data is being linked with electronic medical records and analyzed in an effort to predict medical problems and direct nurses’ care — sometimes before they’ve evaluated the patient themselves. Adam Hart was working in the emergency room at Dignity Health in Henderson, Nevada, when the hospital’s computer system flagged a newly arrived patient for sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. Under the hospital’s protocol, he was supposed to immediately administer a large dose of IV fluids. But after further examination, Hart determined that he was treating a dialysis patient, or someone with kidney failure. Such patients have to be carefully managed to avoid overloading their kidneys with fluid.
Limitations of AI in Healthcare
Hart and other nurses say they understand the goal of AI: to make it easier for nurses to monitor multiple patients and quickly respond to problems. But the reality is often a barrage of false alarms, sometimes erroneously flagging basic bodily functions — such as a patient having a bowel movement — as an emergency. Even the most sophisticated technology will miss signs that nurses routinely pick up on, such as facial expressions and odors, notes Michelle Collins, dean of Loyola University’s College of Nursing. But people aren’t perfect either. “It would be foolish to turn our back on this completely,” Collins said. “We should embrace what it can do to augment our care, but we should also be careful it doesn’t replace the human element.”
The Future of AI in Hospitals
More than 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to one estimate, the biggest staffing drop in 40 years. As the U.S. population ages and nurses retire, the U.S. government estimates there will be more than 190,000 new openings for nurses every year through 2032. Faced with this trend, hospital administrators see AI filling a vital role: not taking over care, but helping nurses and doctors gather information and communicate with patients. At the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, staffers need to make hundreds of calls every week to prepare patients for surgery. Nurses confirm information about prescriptions, heart conditions and other issues — like sleep apnea — that must be carefully reviewed before anesthesia.
AI Assistants in Hospital Care
Since January, the hospital has used an AI assistant from Qventus to contact patients and health providers, send and receive medical records and summarize their contents for human staffers. Qventus says 115 hospitals are using its technology, which aims to boost hospital earnings through quicker surgical turnarounds, fewer cancellations and reduced burnout. Each call begins with the program identifying itself as an AI assistant. “We always want to be fully transparent with our patients that sometimes they are talking to a human and sometimes they’re not,” said Dr. Joseph Sanford, who oversees the center’s health IT.
Conclusion
The integration of AI in hospital care is a complex issue, with both proponents and opponents presenting valid arguments. While AI can help streamline tasks and improve efficiency, it is crucial to ensure that it does not replace the human element in healthcare. Nursing unions and experts emphasize the importance of careful consideration and transparency in the implementation of AI technology. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, it is essential to strike a balance between the benefits of AI and the need for human care and expertise.
FAQs
- What is the role of AI in hospital care?
AI is being used to automate time-consuming tasks, monitor patients’ vital signs, flag emergency situations, and trigger step-by-step action plans for care. - What are the concerns of nursing unions regarding AI?
Nursing unions are concerned that AI is overriding nurses’ expertise and degrading the quality of care patients receive. - Can AI replace human nurses?
No, AI is not intended to replace human nurses, but rather to augment their care and help with tasks such as data analysis and communication. - What are the limitations of AI in healthcare?
AI can generate false alarms and miss signs that nurses routinely pick up on, such as facial expressions and odors. - How many hospitals are using AI technology?
According to Qventus, 115 hospitals are using its AI technology to contact patients and health providers, send and receive medical records, and summarize their contents for human staffers.
