Melissa Donovan
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making waves in the healthcare industry, and Central Florida is no exception. Two of the region’s largest health systems, Orlando Health and AdventHealth Central Florida, are leveraging AI to improve patient care, streamline administrative tasks, and even flag early signs of life-threatening conditions like pancreatic cancer and sepsis. However, the use of AI in healthcare comes with both promising opportunities and significant challenges.
How AI Is Transforming Healthcare in Central Florida
AI for Early Illness Detection
Both AdventHealth and Orlando Health are using AI to identify early warning signs of potentially deadly conditions:
- AdventHealth: Integrated AI into its imaging department in 2020 to detect early signs of strokes and osteoporosis through X-rays.
- Orlando Health: Uses AI to identify candidates for its hospital-at-home program and to monitor patients’ vitals remotely, alerting nurses when intervention may be needed.
Streamlining Administrative Work
AI is also alleviating Florida’s ongoing healthcare staffing shortages by handling routine administrative tasks:
- Recording and transcribing appointments.
- Generating clinical notes and summaries.
This allows providers to dedicate more time to patient care, improving overall efficiency.
The Numbers Behind AI in Healthcare
As of December 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 692 AI and machine-learning-enabled medical devices, illustrating the rapid adoption of this technology nationwide.
- AdventHealth Central Florida: Utilizes AI in over 40 applications, with an AI Advisory Board meeting monthly to vet new technologies.
The Potential Benefits of AI in Healthcare
AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data quickly and without fatigue offers several advantages:
- Increased Patient Safety: AI can act as a safety net, detecting signs of illness that overworked medical staff might miss.
- Reduced Mortality Rates: A 2023 study found that AI-powered sepsis detection technology contributed to a 44% reduction in sepsis deaths.
- Improved Efficiency: Automating administrative tasks saves time and reduces human error, benefiting both patients and providers.
Challenges and Concerns
Despite its potential, AI in healthcare raises several concerns:
- Accuracy Issues:
- A 2023 University of Michigan study found that sepsis-detection AI correctly predicted the condition in only half of the patients who eventually contracted it.
- Stanford researchers testing ChatGPT-4 found it provided correct clinical advice only 41% of the time, with 6% of responses containing fabricated citations—a phenomenon known as “hallucination.”
- Bias Risks: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warns that AI is prone to human bias, which can affect diagnoses and treatment recommendations.
- Public Skepticism: According to a 2023 Pew Research poll, 60% of Americans are uncomfortable with AI being used in their healthcare.
The Future of AI in Healthcare
While current applications of AI are focused on administrative tasks and early detection, some experts predict that AI could eventually be used for diagnosing illnesses and making treatment decisions. If properly regulated and improved, this could revolutionize healthcare by:
- Enhancing diagnostic accuracy.
- Personalizing treatment plans based on patient-specific data.
- Reducing strain on healthcare professionals.
Striking a Balance
The increasing use of AI in Central Florida’s healthcare systems reflects its immense potential to save lives and improve efficiency. However, it also underscores the importance of addressing challenges related to accuracy, bias, and public trust. With ongoing advancements and oversight, AI has the potential to become a powerful ally in delivering better, more efficient healthcare.
As AI continues to evolve, health systems like AdventHealth and Orlando Health must maintain transparency, prioritize patient safety, and ensure that technology complements—not replaces—the human touch in medicine.
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