There have been considerable changes in the healthcare industry over the past decade. The healthcare industry is undergoing a digital transformation driven by AI-based technology, and electronic health records (EHRs) have completely revolutionized patient care. EHRs are incorporated with the latest AI technology that allows healthcare providers to access patient medical histories, analyze patient data, determine possible health risks, and provide diagnosis and treatment. Integration of EHR with AI provides healthcare professionals with complete patient data that includes medical history, lab tests, treatment plans, previous medication details, and known allergies (if any) to make quick and more informed decisions. Like all other technologies, AI-based EHRs have their own pros and cons. We shall discuss them in this article.
Opportunities
AI can play a vital role in improving healthcare services and offers benefits to both health care providers and patients when integrated with EHR systems.
Data Management
AI-integrated EHR can manage patient data in real time with more efficiency. It improves workflows by organizing and classifying complex and huge amounts of data in seconds.
Accurate Diagnosis
On the basis of AI-based algorithms used in EHR, it can provide quick analysis of data and a more accurate diagnosis by considering the medical history of the patient. They can easily detect the irregular patterns and may go unnoticed by a human eye.
Customized Treatment Plans
AI can provide customized treatment plans on the basis of patient preferences, medical history, and age. Patients can have their own personalized plans as per their unique needs and lifestyle choices.
Automated Administrative Tasks
Repetitive administrative tasks such as adding patient histories, doctor-patient interaction notes, scheduling appointments, and creating invoices can be automated through AI and performed more efficiently. These administrative tasks are very time-consuming and have a chance of error if the healthcare staff is overburdened.
Elimination of Human Error
AI eliminates the chances of human error that can be caused by overburden or lengthy data entry tasks. It also assists in identifying any potential mistakes in a patient’s record and medications, such as medication dosage.
Telehealth
AI has made the use of virtual consultations effective and useful for both patients and healthcare providers. It also allows patients to connect to the required health care provider from anywhere in the world. Telehealth also increases patients’ satisfaction that their healthcare provider is just a few clicks away in cases where they need urgent consultation.
Engagement
AI assists healthcare professionals in remembering important meetings and upcoming appointments by sending them notifications. It also engages patients by sending them reminders for their medications and due tests, tips for improving their health, and much more.
Challenges
While EHR integration with AI offers various benefits for healthcare professionals and patients as well, there are a few challenges that come with it.
Job displacement for Humans
One of the most concerning challenges of AI-based EHR is the displacement of jobs. Humans fear that as AI technology continues to advance and rapidly improves, it might take up their jobs and machines will replace them, especially in the case of administrative and iterative tasks such as recording patient data, generating invoices, registering new patients, etc.
Initial Cost
While EHR systems are advanced and have various benefits, they are not affordable for every healthcare organization. The installation cost, training, software, and hardware charges, can add up, and end up being very costly.
Adapting Change
Adaption to the change from manual to automated systems by healthcare professionals can be challenging. People tend to resist change because they have to come out of their comfort zone to learn new things. Getting used to a new system that is quite unique from the current system is a time-consuming task. Elderly healthcare professionals might find it difficult to get used to advanced technology and may lack the computer skills that are required to learn EHR systems.
Data Security
EHRS contains patient data that is highly confidential and sensitive and should only be accessed by authorized personnel. AI integration may raise a privacy concern as involving technology may result in a breach of privacy through unauthorized access. Therefore, highly effective security systems and robust security precautions should be taken by healthcare organizations to secure patient data.
Compatibility Issues
EHR integration challenges may include compatibility challenges. Health professionals may feel the need to share patient data with other healthcare professionals for educational purposes or to seek consultation or advice from fellow medical professionals. There may be a rise in compatibility issues and a delay in sharing data between systems.
Legal Compliance
Healthcare organizations should follow legal rules and regulations while implementing and integrating EHR systems. The law and regulations include data protection laws and HIPAA laws that enforce the protection of patient data. HIPAA also states that patient data is highly confidential and cannot be shared without patient consent.
Conclusion
AI integration with EHR has transformed the healthcare industry and patient care on an advanced level. From efficiently performing iterative tasks to providing data management facilities, making accurate diagnoses, and suggesting better treatment plans, AI-integrated EHRs reduce the stress of administrative and time-consuming tasks, leaving more time for healthcare professionals to spend on patient care. Like every technology, AI also has its own opportunities and challenges. With careful consideration, collaborative development, and proper training, healthcare professionals can utilize AI-powered EHRs to their advantage while actively working to mitigate the challenges as much as possible.
