As we are all aware, there is currently a severe staffing shortage in the healthcare industry
which is unlikely to be solved overnight. Although deprofessionalization can assist with
this crisis, it will not be a long term solution nor will it eliminate the need for healthcare
providers. Despite the current staffing crisis, the healthcare industry continues to evolve
and changes. One aspect of deprofessionalization that can have a significant impact in the
healthcare industry is the incorporation of artificial intelligence.
As technological advancements continue to emerge, there will be a need to adapt to
increased demand, healthcare trends, and competition within the industry. Technology has
a significant impact on accessibility to care and the use of artificial intelligence could aid
in streamlining healthcare accessibility and workflows. Currently, medical literature notes
that the use of artificial intelligence is limited to cancer, neurology, and cardiology
treatment, however, with additional development it could potentially assist with
automatically notifying healthcare providers of abnormal results or processing medication
refills(Jiang et al., 2017)
There are incentives for healthcare systems, patients, healthcare providers, and
pharmaceutical companies to utilize artificial intelligence, however, there are limitations
that could impact successful implementation and long term success.In order for artificial
intelligence to be successful, there must be continuous learning from clinical studies and
research to adapt to healthcare trends, federal rules, and regulations(Jiang et al., 2017).
Artificial intelligence systems must possess the ability to analyze structured data sources
in the form of imaging studies, genetic and electrophysiological data while simultaneously
being able to extract information from clinical notes and medical journals (Jiang et al.,
2017). Artificial intelligence systems are typically classified as "general wellness
products," however, there are currently no regulations in place to assess the safety and
efficacy of these systems (Jiang et al., 2017).If artificial intelligence systems are not able
to readily adapt and are deemed safe, patient health outcomes, medical treatment
efficiency, and reimbursement could be impacted (Jiang et al., 2017). At the end of the
day, although“artificial intelligence [can] substitute some tasks, complement others, and
create new tasks,” artificial intelligence is a mere compliment to not a replacement for
human intelligence and does not eliminate the need for health profession (Sako, 2020).
References
Jiang, F., Jiang, Y., Zhi, H., Dong, Y., Li, H., Ma, S., Wang, Y., Dong, Q., Shen, H., &
Wang, Y. (2017). Artificial Intelligence in healthcare: Past, present and
future.Stroke and Vascular Neurology,2(4), 230–243.https://doi.org/10.1136/svn-
2017-000101
Sako, M. (2020). Artificial Intelligence and the future of professional
work.Communications of the ACM,63(4), 25–27.https://doi.org/10.1145/3382743
