Transforming Healthcare with Industrial-Scale AI Solutions

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Challenges in Healthcare
3. Precision Health: An Overview
4. Smarter Diagnostic Machines
5. AI-Based Decision Support
6. Better Drug Development
7. Precise Therapies
8. Augmented and Virtual Reality in Surgeries
9. Extending Monitoring into New Settings
10. Examples of ai in healthcare
11. Scaling AI Solutions in Healthcare
12. The Edison Ecosystem
13. Building and Delivering Innovation
14. Orchestrating Solutions in a Hospital Setting
15. Conclusion

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the healthcare industry by driving precision health. In a world with increasing demand for healthcare services and limited resources, it has become essential to find innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by healthcare providers. Precision health offers an integrated, efficient, and highly personalized approach to care for each patient. This article explores the concept of precision health and discusses various applications of AI in healthcare, including smarter diagnostic machines, AI-based decision support, better drug development, precise therapies, augmented and virtual reality in surgeries, and the extension of monitoring into new settings. Additionally, it examines the Edison ecosystem developed by GE Healthcare to facilitate the development and deployment of AI solutions at Scale.

Challenges in Healthcare

The healthcare industry is confronted with various challenges, including capacity and access issues. With an increasing number of people entering the healthcare system, providers are facing decreased resources. Furthermore, clinician burnout is on the rise, particularly in the radiology area, where productivity and cost efficiency are crucial. Healthcare systems are being stretched to their limits, compelled to do more with fewer resources. Additionally, patient outcomes are being affected by the ever-increasing demand for better care and the need to achieve more with limited resources. To compound the situation, medical errors rank as the third leading cause of death. These market forces necessitate a response that can address the challenges faced by the healthcare system.

Precision Health: An Overview

Precision health offers an approach to care that focuses on doing the right thing at the right time for every patient on a global scale. It encompasses the development of smarter diagnostic machines that can automatically personalize tests according to a patient's specific needs. AI-based decision support systems assist clinicians in making clinical and operational decisions, instilling confidence in the choices they make. Better drug development involves the use of AI to select the right patient cohorts for clinical trials, leading to more precise therapies. The integration of augmented and virtual reality technologies in surgeries enables surgeons to perform procedures with greater precision and guidance. Additionally, extending monitoring into new settings, such as telehealth and outpatient monitoring, has become vital, especially in light of the pandemic.

Smarter Diagnostic Machines

One compelling example of AI in healthcare is Sono CNS, an innovation in women's health ultrasound. Traditionally, during a 20-week checkup in pregnancy, a full ultrasound is performed to monitor fetal progress and growth. Reviewing the central nervous system in this examination is a time-intensive process that can be prone to error and variability based on the sonographer's skill and experience. With Sono CNS, a deep learning model has been developed to reduce the number of key strokes required for this process. As a result, 75% of the time taken for this examination is freed up, benefiting both the sonographer and the patient.

AI-Based Decision Support

Another exciting application of AI in healthcare is Critical Care Suite, which focuses on the diagnostic space. Critical Care Suite integrates an AI model into X-ray devices to automatically recognize critical conditions when an image is taken. For example, in an emergency room setting after a car accident, one of the first procedures is typically an X-ray to look for critical conditions such as a collapsed lung. With Critical Care Suite, the AI model identifies critical conditions, moving the corresponding X-ray to the top of the radiologist's queue. This prioritization allows for immediate confirmation and alerts the care team to take necessary intervention steps promptly.

Better Drug Development

AI is also instrumental in improving drug development by intelligently selecting the right patient cohorts for clinical trials. By using AI algorithms to analyze vast amounts of patient data, researchers can identify specific characteristics that make patients more likely to respond positively to a particular therapy. This approach enhances the precision of drug development, ensuring that the right patients receive the most effective treatments. Consequently, the success rates of clinical trials improve, leading to more efficient and tailored therapies.

Precise Therapies

The advancement of AI in healthcare has paved the way for precision therapies that target specific patient needs. By analyzing patient data and identifying Patterns, AI algorithms can suggest tailored treatment approaches that maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects. These therapies offer a personalized approach to care, enhancing patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Augmented and Virtual Reality in Surgeries

The integration of augmented and virtual reality technologies into surgeries has opened up new possibilities for surgeons. By providing real-time guidance and imaging overlays, these technologies enable surgeons to perform procedures with increased precision and accuracy. Surgeons can Visualize the internal structures of patients in real-time, allowing for improved decision-making and enhanced surgical outcomes.

Extending Monitoring into New Settings

The use of AI has facilitated the extension of monitoring into new healthcare settings, such as telehealth and outpatient monitoring. Telehealth enables patients to receive virtual consultations and remote monitoring, reducing the need for in-person visits. This approach has been particularly crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing healthcare providers to continue delivering care while minimizing the risk of viral transmission. Outpatient monitoring involves the use of wearable devices and sensors to Collect patient data outside of the hospital setting. This data can be analyzed using AI algorithms to provide valuable insights into a patient's health status and enable Timely interventions when necessary.

Examples of AI in Healthcare

These examples represent just a fraction of the potential and impact of AI in healthcare. numerous AI solutions are being developed and implemented with the goal of driving precision health. Startups and established companies alike are investing in AI technologies, backed by significant funding. The future of healthcare holds the promise of numerous AI solutions working together to improve patient care and outcomes on a global scale.

Scaling AI Solutions in Healthcare

While significant progress has been made in the development and implementation of AI solutions in healthcare, there is a need to scale up these efforts. The delivery of precision health requires a multitude of AI solutions working together seamlessly. The challenge lies in effectively coordinating and integrating these solutions to maximize their impact. To achieve this, healthcare providers must embrace ecosystems and partnerships that facilitate the acceleration of innovation. The ability to scale from a handful of apps to thousands requires collaboration and a shared vision across the healthcare industry.

The Edison Ecosystem

The Edison ecosystem, developed by GE Healthcare, aims to address the challenges of scaling AI solutions in healthcare. It offers a platform for the development, delivery, and integration of AI innovations seamlessly into existing healthcare workflows. The Edison ecosystem leverages GE Healthcare's global footprint of devices and software, providing a unified approach to accessing and deploying AI solutions. By simplifying data management, ensuring security, and streamlining software delivery, the Edison ecosystem enables healthcare providers to access and benefit from a wide range of AI innovations seamlessly.

Building and Delivering Innovation

The development of AI solutions in healthcare involves collaboration between healthcare technology companies, clinicians, and developers. By identifying pressing challenges and pain points, developers can create applications that address these issues effectively. GE Healthcare, through its experience and partnerships with clinicians, equips developers with the necessary tools to develop innovative solutions. The goal is to minimize the burden on clinicians by automating tasks and integrating AI technologies seamlessly into their existing workflows, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes.

Orchestrating Solutions in a Hospital Setting

To maximize the effectiveness of AI solutions in healthcare, there is a need for orchestration and coordination. The Edison Open AI Orchestrator, a platform component within the Edison ecosystem, plays a crucial role in orchestrating different AI solutions. It can seamlessly integrate solutions from various sources, whether developed by GE or other partners. Through intelligent coordination, the Edison Open AI Orchestrator ensures that the care team and the patient benefit from the combined strengths of multiple solutions. This approach creates a unified and empowered view, enabling healthcare providers to leverage the best of innovation without feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of individual applications.

Conclusion

AI-driven precision health holds immense potential for transforming healthcare delivery. By leveraging AI technologies and integrating them seamlessly into existing workflows, healthcare providers can improve patient care, enhance outcomes, and increase operational efficiency. The Edison ecosystem developed by GE Healthcare provides a platform for building, delivering, and scaling AI solutions in healthcare, facilitating the acceleration of innovation and the achievement of precision health goals. As the industry continues to embrace AI technologies, the future of healthcare looks brighter than ever, with the promise of personalized, efficient, and integrated care for every patient.

Highlights

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a revolution towards precision health in the healthcare industry.
• Healthcare providers are facing challenges such as capacity and access issues, clinician burnout, and the need to do more with less.
• Precision health offers an integrated, efficient, and personalized approach to care for each patient on a global scale.
• AI applications in healthcare include smarter diagnostic machines, AI-based decision support, better drug development, precise therapies, and augmented reality in surgeries.
• Extending monitoring into new settings, such as telehealth and outpatient monitoring, has become vital, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Edison ecosystem developed by GE Healthcare facilitates the development, delivery, and integration of AI solutions at scale in healthcare.
• Orchestrating AI solutions in a hospital setting allows for a unified and empowered view, maximizing the benefits for healthcare providers and patients.

FAQ

Q: What is precision health? Precision health is an approach to care that is integrated, efficient, and highly personalized to each patient. It involves doing the right thing at the right time for every patient on a global scale and leveraging technologies such as AI to achieve better outcomes.

Q: How can AI improve drug development? AI algorithms can analyze large amounts of patient data to identify specific characteristics that make patients more likely to respond positively to a particular therapy. This enables researchers to select the right patient cohorts for clinical trials, improving the precision of drug development.

Q: How does telehealth work? Telehealth involves the use of technology to provide virtual consultations and remote monitoring for patients. It allows healthcare providers to deliver care remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits and minimizing the risk of viral transmission, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q: How does the Edison ecosystem facilitate the development of AI solutions in healthcare? The Edison ecosystem, developed by GE Healthcare, provides a platform for building, delivering, and integrating AI solutions seamlessly into existing healthcare workflows. It simplifies data management, ensures security, and streamlines software delivery, enabling healthcare providers to access and benefit from a wide range of AI innovations.