With all of today’s advances in healthcare as well as new technology using artificial intelligence (AI) now available, it was only a matter of time before the two intersected. AI technology is increasingly being used for a variety of medical purposes. Professionals in healthcare administration will tell you that AI is poised to transform the healthcare industry.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in healthcare management, want to earn your master's in healthcare administration, or just want to explore the many ways AI is being used in healthcare, now is an exciting time to learn more.
AI in Healthcare
AI broadly refers to the use of computers to perform tasks usually done by humans. In the medical field, AI is expected to continue driving improvements in healthcare management and delivery, using algorithms to analyze patient data. From helping doctors improve diagnosis, treatment, patient monitoring, and more, the potential for AI in healthcare applications seems endless.
At the 2018 World Medical Innovation Forum on artificial intelligence, researchers discussed the “Disruptive Dozen”—12 ways that advances in AI will significantly improve healthcare.1 These new uses include:
- Brain-computer interfaces. Computers and algorithms listening to brain activity may help patients suffering from neurological diseases or injuries, and may even help those with paralysis regain the ability to move.
- Next generation radiology. Cancer researchers are working on developing AI technology to use in quantitative imaging to predict a tumor’s pathogenicity, genetic makeup, or treatment response.
- Stepping in when clinical expertise is lacking. Low-resource settings lack diagnostic equipment and clinical experts that patients need, but AI-based applications may soon be able to fill these gaps.
- Reducing physicians’ time behind a computer. Administrative computer tasks can take up half of a doctor’s day and leave little time for face-to-face visits with patients. AI technology could help automate computer tasks to reduce physicians’ screen time, and anticipate the digital information doctors submit daily.
- Reduce the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in healthcare, but researchers are developing a tool that uses clinical data from patients’ electronic health records to create an AI-based assessment of a patient’s likelihood of developing certain antibiotic-resistant infections.
- Digital pathology. Researchers are developing machine-learning-based methods to detect cancer cells on a digital pathology slide. Once the tools are available for clinical use, researchers hope to give pathologists smarter, time-saving, and more accurate methods for cancer diagnosis.
- Personal health devices. To improve upon the current generation of wearable health devices, researchers hope to tackle a broader range of health problems with newer devices that utilize AI to collect more health data from wearers.
Start by Earning Your MHA Degree
In the growing and evolving healthcare industry, professionals with a master’s degree can set themselves apart to become leaders in their fields. If you’re looking to advance your career in healthcare management, Walden University’s Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program can get you started on the right path.
Walden’s MHA program is designed to prepare you to make a meaningful impact as a healthcare administrator in the rapidly evolving healthcare field. Both healthcare providers and patients benefit from strong, visionary leaders guiding healthcare delivery systems, and a healthcare administration degree is more valuable than ever. Whether you’re looking for a career in health information management, health services administration, or any of the other roles available to professionals in the field, you can compete in the job market with an MHA degree.
Explore the latest trends in the healthcare management industry and gain the professional competencies top employers are looking for. With fully online classes and a variety of specializations to choose from, Walden’s program can help you get the MHA degree you’ve been dreaming of.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.
1Source: https://healthitanalytics.com/news/top-12-ways-artificial-intelligence-will-impact-healthcare
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.