Why AI is necessary in health care

Elena Sokolova, SberMedAI chief product officer, said that wider use of artificial intelligence in health care will improve performance in diagnostics, reduce load on doctors and provide quick access to medical care in remote regions. The company is a participant of NeuroNet and HealthNet, National Technological Initiative (NTI) markets.

“AI-based services are to help doctors in their daily work, eliminate repeated routine tasks, provide free time for communication with patients, give attention to the most complicated cases and finally select the right treatment and help people,” Elena Sokolova said.

She emphasized that AI can be useful in various fields, from organizing work in a clinic and prognostic tools to clinical decision making support systems. Currently the services which automate electronic medical record management and analyze medical images to establish a diagnosis have become the most frequently used ones. For instance, computer vision help specialists to find abnormalities in CT, ultrasound, X-ray and MRI images.

Although many people are sceptical about wider use of machines, experts emphasize that artificial intelligence is just one of the tools. AI-based services do not provide ready answers. They draw attention to possible abnormalities. For instance, they reduce the risk that a doctor will not notice early signs of serious diseases, including cancer.

“The main aim of AI implementation is to improve access to highly qualified medical care. Algorithms enable us to provide equal opportunities to patients in various regions of the country and immediately suggest examination and advice even in remote and sparsely populated districts, as well as for patients with impaired mobility,”the expert added.

A publication in the media