Organic and social networks, from human immune systems to population mobility, are by definition adaptive, and any perturbations affect the accuracy of predictions. New types of AI and new approaches will be needed to overcome compartmentalised views.
AI strategies in healthcare must also be articulated on the assumption that hospitals and healthcare systems are facing a growing wave of cyber-attacks driven by the high economic value of patient data, including electronic health records (EHRs). The healthcare sector has indeed become the most targeted sector in the EU in the last four years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Augmented intelligence« should be promoted: AI should aim to assist and not replace healthcare professionals, who are still needed to provide clinical context to algorithms and to translate their findings into decisions for the benefit of patients.
AI governance is, in fact, a relatively new concept for health systems. It involves reviewing and evaluating individual AI tools to ensure that they can be used safely and effectively, and that they comply with applicable legislation.
AI systems inevitably absorb and perpetuate under-representation of certain groups or gender biases in the processing of the data they are fed. Without appropriate precautions, algorithms may predict lower health risks in populations that have historically had less access to health services - not because they are healthier, but because there is less documented use of health care.
AI can automate tasks to free up time and allow doctors to focus more on their patients, «humanising» care in new ways. Burnout syndrome in healthcare professionals has increased.
It is estimated that primary care teams can use AI-based voice solutions to automatically document conversations with their patients for at least 60% of visits. This could allow doctors to see up to nine additional patients per month.
The 70% of healthcare workers' tasks could, in fact, be reinvented through technological improvement. In nursing alone, automation can free 20% from repetitive and less complex tasks.
From a more systemic point of view, the concept of the digital twin for health (DT4H) promises to revolutionise the entire healthcare model, including the management and delivery of services, the treatment and prevention of disease, and the maintenance of wellbeing.