The healthcare sector is eternally evolving and progressing forward to improve the quality of life of patients and reduce mortality. Expanded laboratory research, the pharmaceutical industry, biomedical engineering, and robotics all have played a recent role. As technology continues to develop at an accelerated rate, a new field has blossomed, artificial intelligence (AI).
The Controversy and Promise of AI
AI is exciting as much as it is controversial. Utilizing superior processing speeds, AI machines have the capacity to take patient information and test results to produce a diagnosis linked to the most up to date treatment options. All this with superior accuracy and no sign of human fatigue or error. Despite all the promising benefits, skepticism and fear have arisen. The main reason is job security concerns. AI should not be viewed as a replacement to physician assistants, but rather as an incredible asset. One that will carry our profession into the next decade with improved abilities, none greater than providing expanded access to healthcare for patients.
AI in Current Medical Practice
Currently, medicine is already employing the use of AI in many arenas. These primarily include managing patient records, interpreting radiographic studies, analyzing tests, and preventive care monitoring. Following algorithms, AI also serves as a digital consultant, virtual home health nurse, and pharmacy technician. Expanded roles are inevitable. One needs to look no further than the stock market to gauge the interest AI has created. Startup companies are abundant and money is heavily invested.
AI and Personalized Healthcare
Fitbits and apple watches that monitor heart rates, sleep patterns, and exercise capacity are just the tip of the iceberg. But how far does this go and what is the role of the physician assistant? Ultimately, the most profound impact of AI on medical practice is going to be increased individualized and personalized care. Ironically, the era of automated machinery is not going to replace physician assistants, but instead make them more accessible to the patient for human interaction. All while serving as an aid to deliver precise care backed by evidence-based medicine.
AI in Medical Charting and Diagnostics
Medical charting is undoubtedly important, yet a time constraint for the majority of physician assistants. Necessary for communication between providers, for patient information, as a legal document, and to help formulate thoughts, the system of electronic records limits the time to see each patient and reduces the number of patients seen daily. Technology can now be a scribe; recording patient information while identifying key symptoms to assist with a differential diagnosis. With no delay in documentation, human memory lapses are eliminated. Time is optimized, allowing for more human interaction with patients to address their emotional needs, questions, and cover health maintenance or preventive care.
AI in Bedside Diagnostics and Telemedicine
Besides documentation, AI can provide bedside diagnostics reducing the time waiting for results and immediately confirming your diagnosis. Anything from ultrasound probes inserted into a smartphone creating miniature echocardiograms and vascular images, to programs designed to identify skin lesions from camera pictures. Electrocardiograms are already being obtained from placing your fingertips on a handheld device with a monitor. Medicine is being revolutionized with the ability of the physician assistant to do more with each patient.
AI can also improve telemedicine, extending healthcare to millions of people in remote areas or with limited transportation services. Also with the impending physician shortage, millions of people will experience long delays for in-person appointments delaying important treatment. COVID expedited the use of telemedicine and exposed some of the challenges that lie ahead. AI can improve upon the problems encountered, and potentially impact lives. AI can assist the untrained patient to acquire medical grade images through their phone. Voice activation will instruct them step by step until the desired study is obtained. This information will then be interpreted and produce a differential diagnosis. Patients subsequently will be more engaged with their care, increasing shared decision making and likely improving outcomes.
The Future of AI in Healthcare and Its Impact on Jobs
It is reasonable to argue some positions will be eliminated by AI. Medical coding and billing possibly could be replaced by automated interpretation of the chart. Inevitably, with advancement of technology, occupations are phased out, but new ones are created. AI has low probability to negatively impact the physician assistant. Instead, I anticipate it will improve clinical practice via increased human interaction and bedside diagnostics while reducing clerical time. The growing complexities of medicine will be supported by technology. More efficient evaluation of an increased number of patients will reduce burnout, and the physician assistant profession will continue to thrive.