The rise of technologies such as ChatGPT has thrust artificial intelligence into the spotlight throughout 2023 91裸聊视频� and health care is no exception.
91裸聊视频淲ith the increasing availability of health-care data and the rapid progress in analytic techniques 91裸聊视频� whether machine learning, logic-based or statistical 91裸聊视频� AI tools could transform the health sector,91裸聊视频� the World Health Organization said when it launched a set of regulatory recommendations in October.
As we move into 2024, here are some key AI developments 91裸聊视频� and cautions 91裸聊视频� that will be top of mind for Canadian experts in the new year and beyond.
PERSONALIZED PATIENT CARE
One of the most exciting potential developments in health-care AI is harnessing the ability of a computer model to process and interpret 91裸聊视频渕ulti-modal91裸聊视频� data about a patient, said Roxana Sultan, chief data officer and vice-president ofhealth at the Toronto-based Vector Institute dedicated to AI research.
Right now, AI models can make a diagnosis based on one or two pieces of information, such as an X-ray, Sultan said. That91裸聊视频檚 achieved by training the model on 91裸聊视频渢ons and tons of X-ray images91裸聊视频� so it learns to recognize certain diagnoses.
91裸聊视频淭hat is fantastic. But that is (only) one source of information,91裸聊视频� Sultan said.
In the 91裸聊视频渘ear future,91裸聊视频� she said, machine learning will develop so that AI can take a 91裸聊视频渕uch more comprehensive look at patient health.91裸聊视频�
In addition to a patient91裸聊视频檚 X-ray, for example, AI would be able to process other data, including doctor91裸聊视频檚 notes, lab samples, medications the patient is taking and genetic information.
That ability will not only play a critical role in diagnosing a patient, but also in coming up with a more personalized treatment plan, Sultan said.
91裸聊视频淲hen you have models that understand the complex interplay between a person91裸聊视频檚 genetics and a person91裸聊视频檚 medications and all the different diagnostic tests that you run on that patient, you pull those together into a picture that allows you to not only understand what91裸聊视频檚 happening in the moment, but also to kind of plan ahead that, if I applied this treatment 91裸聊视频� what is the more likely outcome for this particular person?91裸聊视频�
Russ Greiner, who holds a fellowship with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, agreed.
91裸聊视频淭he standard medical practice used to be one size fits all,91裸聊视频� said Greiner, who is also a professor of computing science at the University of Alberta.
91裸聊视频淣ow you realize that there91裸聊视频檚 huge differences amongst individuals 91裸聊视频� different genes, different metabolites, different lifestyle factors, all of which are influential (on health),91裸聊视频� he said.
Machine learning means computers can analyze hundreds or thousands of characteristics about a patient 91裸聊视频� more than a human clinician could possibly process 91裸聊视频� and find patterns 91裸聊视频渢hat allow us to figure out that for this characteristic of patients, you get treatment A, not treatment B,91裸聊视频� Greiner said.
CLINICAL TRIALS
AI91裸聊视频檚 ability to go through enormous amounts of data will also save 91裸聊视频渢ens of thousands 91裸聊视频� probably hundreds of thousands 91裸聊视频� of human hours91裸聊视频� for researchers analyzing the results of clinical trials, said Sue Paish, CEO of DIGITAL, one of five 91裸聊视频済lobal innovation clusters91裸聊视频� across the country funded by the federal government.
91裸聊视频淎I basically can evaluate billions of pieces of data in a fraction of a second,91裸聊视频� said Paish, who is based in Vancouver.
That means that new medications could be evaluated for safety and efficacy much faster, she said.
IMPROVING QUALITY OF DATA
Whether AI is being used for clinical care or for health research, the results it generates can only be as good as the data it91裸聊视频檚 fed, experts agree.
91裸聊视频淕arbage in, garbage out,91裸聊视频� said Greiner.
91裸聊视频淚f I train on faulty data, the best I can do is to build a model as good as that data, which is problematic.91裸聊视频�
One of the priority areas is to make sure AI is getting data from reliable sources, rather than just indiscriminately taking publicly available information, said Sultan.
ChatGPT, for example, is a technology to 91裸聊视频渆ssentially scrape the internet,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淭he problem with that 91裸聊视频� is first and foremost, it91裸聊视频檚 not always reliable and true,91裸聊视频� Sultan said.
91裸聊视频淎nd second of all, it is riddled with biases and problematic perspectives that get reinforced when you train something that can91裸聊视频檛 make those judgments. It just reads it all, absorbs it and spits it back out for you.91裸聊视频�
One example of a way to improve the quality of medical analyses AI generates is to train it on medical textbooks rather than the internet, Sultan said.
91裸聊视频淚 think the ChatGPTs of the world will seem very caveman, like very rudimentary (in the future),91裸聊视频� she said.
Researchers are also developing AI algorithms to find bias in health information, including racial or gender discrimination, Sultan said.
PATIENT SELF-MANAGEMENT
Another key area where AI will grow is in developing technologies that help patients manage their own health, experts agree.
For example, wearable AI has already been developed to help patients with heart failure self-monitor, Sultan said.
AI has also been used 91裸聊视频渜uite effectively91裸聊视频� in remote areas of Canada to manage some patients91裸聊视频� wounds when they weren91裸聊视频檛 able to access care during the pandemic, said Paish.
The AI technology attaches to a patient91裸聊视频檚 cellphone, takes a 3D image of a wound and assesses whether it91裸聊视频檚 infected or healing well.
That information is then sent to a doctor or nurse, who can advise the patient remotely on how to care for the wound.
91裸聊视频淚 think we91裸聊视频檙e going to see more and more examples of where AI is actually supporting patient health by reducing the need for a human being to take all the steps in assessment and delivery of health-care services,91裸聊视频� Paish said.
That will take pressure off overburdened doctors, nurses and hospitals and allow them to provide in-person care when it91裸聊视频檚 most needed, she said.
ETHICS AND REGULATION
91裸聊视频淥ne of the big flashing yellow lights in the application of AI is making sure that there is very thorough and thoughtful evaluations of how AI is being trained,91裸聊视频� said Paish.
91裸聊视频淧ublic policy is going to be extremely important.91裸聊视频�
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada91裸聊视频檚 chief public health officer, said it91裸聊视频檚 critical to develop regulations and safeguards that address ethical issues such as patient privacy.
91裸聊视频淚 think this is a really opportune time to, you know, more systematically look at 91裸聊视频� what governance we have to put in place in order to responsibly use AI,91裸聊视频� Tam said in a recentinterview.
Ensuring data is managed in a way that protects privacy must be 91裸聊视频渋nterwoven91裸聊视频� with AI development, Sultan said, noting that other legal and ethical ramifications are 91裸聊视频渦ncharted territory.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e all trying to figure out what makes the most sense. So issues like consent, issues like data ownership and data custodianship, those are all going to shift in terms of the paradigm that we91裸聊视频檝e looked at them through in the past,91裸聊视频� she said.
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Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
