The integration of robots and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is rapidly increasing, with significant impacts on local patient care and hospital operations, the Los Angeles Business Journal reports. According to recent reports, the healthcare industry is allocating an increasing portion of its budget to AI and machine learning (ML). Hospitals are utilizing AI for various purposes, including predicting emergency room wait times, detecting infections, and optimizing medication delivery.
"According to a Morgan Stanley report released in August, 94% of the healthcare companies surveyed said they are now employing artificial intelligence or machine learning in some capacity. That Morgan Stanley report also projected the healthcare industry’s average estimated budget allocation for AI and ML will increase from 5.7% in 2022 to 10.5% this year."
For instance, City of Hope has developed an AI-powered tool to predict sepsis infections in cancer patients, providing crucial lead time for intervention. Antelope Valley Medical Center is using autonomous robots to deliver medications and transport specimens, improving efficiency and reducing the time spent on deliveries.
At Cedars-Sinai, a patient-facing AI app called CS Connect helps patients schedule appointments and provides doctors with summaries and potential diagnoses, improving the efficiency of patient encounters. However, the implementation of AI in healthcare has been slow due to the need to validate its effectiveness and ensure patient safety.
Meanwhile, UCLA Health has been utilizing robotic surgery for over seven years, with about 80% of surgeries conducted using robots. Robotic surgery offers benefits such as enhanced recovery, less pain, and shorter hospitalizations. While currently dominated by the da Vinci surgical system, competition is expected to drive down costs in the future.