The Role of AI In Predictive Medicine Technology

The adage “Prevention is better than cure” holds greater significance in healthcare. Diagnosing diseases even before the symptoms occur is not magic, but a reality now. Thanks to modern technologies like Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), healthcare professionals can accurately predict the onset of diseases. These sophisticated tools use genetic, environmental, and lifestyle data of individuals and devise personalized and efficient early intervention plans. The advent of predictive medicine technology could also result in significant cost savings in healthcare. The role of AI in predictive medicine is getting more significant day by day.

This article explores the role and benefits of AI in general healthcare practice and predictive medicine.

What is predictive medicine?

Predictive medicine technology identifies potential progression a disease in an individual. They do so by analyzing their genetic information and various other parameters.

Let’s consider the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia. It is a neurological condition that negatively affects cognitive abilities of the patients. Both the conditions have similar symptoms of natural, age-related cognitive decline, making early diagnosis a challenge. However, early diagnosis is crucial for early intervention to slow down the progression of symptoms. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have built an AI-enabled Predictive Prognostic Model (PPM), that can predict early signs of dementia. Such early diagnosis helps physicians intervene early and plan their treatment better.

Traditionally, predictive medicine technology was exclusively used in the study of genetics. Genetics and genomics were physicians’ go-to tools to predict individual risk for some diseases (e.g., the BRCA gene and breast cancer) and to chart the personalized treatment plan (e.g., therapy directed at a molecular target in cancer). 

What is the role of AI in healthcare?

In the healthcare domain, AI is generally used in clinical decision support and imaging analysis. 

• Clinical decision support tools: They provide healthcare professionals instant access to relevant information research findings to help make decisions about treatment plans, medications, and other patient needs.
• AI tools: They are used to precisely analyze CT scans, x-rays, MRIs, and other images for any abnormalities that the human eye might miss.

However, the widespread use of AI in medicine proliferated after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many healthcare organizations adopted and started implementing new AI-based predictive medicine technologies, to monitor and screen patients.

Benefits of AI in Predictive Medicine

• AI in disease detection and diagnosis: ML models help professionals observe the vital signs of patients receiving critical care and alert clinicians if certain risk factors increase. Medical devices like heart monitors can track vital signs. Whereas AI can go a step further and collect the data from those devices and look for more complex conditions. 
• Personalized disease treatment: AI enables round-the-clock, customized real-time recommendations to patients. An AI-powered virtual assistant could answer questions based on the patient’s medical history.
• AI in medical imaging: It can analyze a huge volume of medical images and critical information of a patient’s history. AI can also help in presenting the relevant images to the physicians on demand.
• Clinical trial efficiency: AI can help speed this process up by providing a quicker and more intelligent search for medical codes.

Algorithms in predictive medicine

AI analyses a vast range of patient data to create a prediction profile known as algorithm for individuals. Along with genetic tests, preventive medicine uses information such as past treatment results, latest research findings, hospital admissions and re-admission rates to glean precise algorithms. Healthcare professionals can use such information to devise customized treatment plans for individuals, which will ensure enhanced treatment results. In recent years, services like DNA use for ancestry are trending. It analyses variations in an individual’s genome, which can provide information about certain health conditions.

Cost savings potential of AI in predictive medicine

Predictive medicine technology analyzes specific genetic information and the results from lab tests to assess the probability of a patient developing a particular disease. Machine learning can analyze large data sets to predict long-term conditions, enabling timely, precise, and efficient interventions. Thus, AI and Machine Learning tools offer the ability to predict an individual’s risk of developing a condition. Such as ability empowers clinicians to intervene sooner and ensure successful treatment results for patients. Also, the application of AI in predictive medicine, along with the ability to ensure personalized treatment, has a strong potential to reduce treatment costs and save billions of dollars each year. Therefore, healthcare organizations across the globe are rapidly leveraging technologies and tools powered by AI and ML to improve treatment outcomes as well as save time and money.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence has grown from being a futuristic promise into a practical reality. The number of AI-related studies, research projects, university courses, and companies has grown significantly in the past few years along with the increase in precision. Artificial Intelligence cannot replace medical professionals; but a successful collaboration between humans and technology can bring positive change in medicine. AI will help us find new ways to predict the onset of diseases and streamline treatment practices.

Potential applications of AI in predictive medicine technology are still being explored. The opportunities for AI to benefit clinicians, researchers, and the patients they serve are steadily increasing. At this point, it is very clear that AI will become a core part of the digital health systems that shape and support modern medicine.

Discover how Netscribes’ Technology Solutions can help you leverage AI-based tools in predictive healthcare. Contact us today for a demo.

Based on insights by Madhura Mujumdar, Manager.