‘Researchers are already testing the applicability of artificial intelligence to healthcare,’ says host Gary Aslanyan“A recent study from PLoS Digital Health showed that this kind of AI algorithm has great potential for early diagnosis of dementia.”
In an episode highlighting not only the possibilities of new technology but also its limitations, Aslanyan shares a conversation with Florence, a freely accessible AI health worker developed by the World Health Organization in partnership with the Qatar Ministry of Health. Entertain.
“Florence was charming, but I have to admit I didn’t get the response I needed,” says Aslanyan.
according to Yara Aborwaffaan independent digital health consultant and co-founder of Health 2.0 Egypt, Florence will ultimately be a game changer.
“There are many possible uses for future versions of Florence, or AI-powered chatbots in general, such as debunking medical myths or answering simple medical questions,” she said. Tells Aslanyan. “Florence has a lot of potential for the future.
Will chatbots become culturally acceptable?
for Tim McKeeAs an associate professor at the University of San Diego and co-founder of healthcare big data startup S-3 Research, the key question for him is whether chatbots will become culturally acceptable to people. .
“An important thing for public health officials to understand is that we cannot rely on technology alone to solve all our problems,” he says. “We need to spend time on development, and we need to invest more.”
Both experts note that funding research and implementing new technologies is one of the major challenges in the field.
“Most digital health projects focus on market needs that are profitable and scalable,” emphasizes Aboelwaffa. “This is because innovations without a proven financial return on investment are still very limited because they are not funded.”
Mackey and Aboelwaffa also highlight that new technologies are already having a significant positive impact in many areas of healthcare, a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many innovations have been made in the future and are still being developed, many of which focus on a range of digital health tools that can be used to enhance public health,” said Mackey. increase.
“What excites me the most is the data,” said the consultant, sharing what he has witnessed in the Middle East. “Data is the foundation for providing evidence for informed interventions within the health system. Many different health systems across the region implement national-level systems for collecting, aggregating and reporting data. doing.”
When asked about how she sees the future of healthcare, Abo Elwaffa believes it will be “participatory, preventative, personalized, democratized and unbiased.”
“Basically, this means that the health care system is taking responsibility for its own health, moving to a more preventative approach to keep people on this magic circle of health, and addressing the specific needs of individuals, regardless of age. It means being able to provide tailored health care services that are responsive to , gender, gender and income,” she concludes.
Image credit: TDRMore.
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