An Analysis of The Use of Artificial Intelligence in the United States of America’s Healthcare System

Abstract

In order to assist policymakers and healthcare professional towards the adoption and application of AI tools to the USA healthcare system, this study was designed to unearth some of the challenges facing the adoption and application of AI tools to healthcare system. The study further presents information about success stories in countries that are currently using AI in their healthcare systems, and also presents information about the areas that AI tools have impacted in the healthcare system as well as benefit or importance of using AI in healthcare system. This study followed a narrative literature review analysis. With the help of a Boolean search technique, articles and other publication materials were selected for the study analysis. In all 15 articles were included and considered for the analysis. As part of the study’s findings—examples of health-related AI applications include the following: Hippocratic AI, Merative, Viz.ai, Enlitic, Regard, Twill, Linus Health, PathAI, VirtuSense, Cleerly, and Freenome. Also, from the literature, some of the areas in the healthcare system that AI tools have been applied and impacted include the following: medical equipment preparers, medical assistants, occupational health and safety technician, pharmacy technicians, etc. Furthermore, the study found that challenges that stakeholders need to address in order to ensure smooth adoption of AI into US healthcare system include but not limited to the following: (1) Working together to deliver quality AI in healthcare, (2) Rethinking education and skills, (3) Strengthening data quality, governance, security and interoperability, (4) Managing Change, (5) Investing in New Talent and Creating New Roles, (6) Working at Scale, (7) Regulation, Policymaking and Liability, and Managing Risk, and (8) Funding. Above all, the study found that AI application to health care sector, and associated benefits or importance of AI application to healthcare system include the following: assisting in human resource crisis in healthcare, primary care services, neuroscience, thoracic surgery, cardiac management, and applying to nursing and medical science. The study therefore recommended that policymakers should make available funding resources, education and skills training to the healthcare system through budgetary allocation in order to ensure smooth adoption and implementation of AI in health care system. Above all, the study further recommended that policymakers and government officials should also provide and/or make available AI Virtual Care to complement the traditional healthcare ecosystem by integrating AI electronic health records, telemedicine, wearable devices, data analytics and artificial intelligence.

Keywords: Healthcare, Medicine, Health, Informatics, Adoption, Challenges, Artificial Intelligence

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/113-07

Publication date: February 28th 2024