Health is a major concern for everyone. Knowing there is
nothing wrong with you or your family is a top priority. As technology
advances, companies are creating self-service tools to help people monitor
their own health. I just listened to an interesting podcast from stuffyoushouldknow.com (click here
to listen to the entire podcast) discussing the question, “Will computers
replace doctors?” They made some great points on how Artificial Intelligence
can benefit the future of medicine.
Today, people are beginning to take charge of their own
health and not rely solely on what the doctors say; they are taking things into
their own hands if you will. Wearable technology is being utilized in the
health field in the form of heart monitors, calorie counters, etc. Fit Bit
and other wearable health trackers make it easy for consumers to trace and
record health information. This technology provides users with quantitative
data and the ability to determine on their own if a doctor’s visit is necessary.
Smartphone apps are also tapping into the medical field.
There are already preliminary apps that essentially make you the doctor. An app
called EyeNetra is trying to bring eye care
to the public by providing them with prescriptions. Another app called AliveCor measures your ECG scores and
can send them to your doctor for less than half the cost. All these apps are
still advancing, but eventually you will be able to track all your health
information on your Smartphone from different apps. And soon after that, all of
these apps will be combined into one app where you can be in control of your
own health. View this SlideShare
for a visual example of how Virtual Agents can augment the Internet of
Everything.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not only being accessed by
the public as a self advocacy tool, but also inside the medical field at the
hospitals. Artificial Intelligence is in the process of becoming doctors
themselves. This is still a new concept with lots of kinks to work out, but the
benefits point us in a direction of Virtual doctors in the near future. In the
podcast, they mention doctors lacking a consistent bedside manner due to
personal problems, being busy, etc. The technology is readily available to
create Virtual Agents with consistent, unbiased bedside manner, that people
actually prefer interacting with. A study was mentioned about treating anxiety,
and it was found that people were more willing to talk with a Virtual Agent
avatar than a human therapist.
Another benefit of utilizing a Virtual Agent in the medical
field is its ability to look up medical history and family history quickly.
Often, doctors make diagnoses based mostly on intuition. They said, “1 in 5
diagnoses in the United States are incorrect or incomplete.” A Virtual Agent
relies strictly on data and provides possible diagnoses with a high level of
confidence based on previous personal and family history and/or current research.
In your opinion, what
does the future of medicine look like? Do you think doctors are going to be
replaced by Artificial Intelligence or just used as aids? Would you prefer
interacting with an avatar?
Happy Friday
