The healthcare industry is and always has been dependent on technology. From the very first rudimentary medical instrument designs to advance modern tools and treatments, technology is the foundation of healthcare and continues to allow services to provide the best care for patients.
Today, technology is at a point beyond anything anyone could have expected. Artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based systems have revolutionised countless industries, the healthcare sector included. However, are today’s surgical improvements purely AI and cloud-based? Keep reading to find out.
Improving Existing Instruments
While AI and cloud technology promise to herald a new era of healthcare services, treatments and surgeries still rely on tools that have been in use for decades or even longer. However, many of these tools, such as retractor instruments, have gone through numerous iterations over the years. Each new development improves some aspect of the instrument and makes it easier, safer, and more effective to use.
Improving the instruments that we already use is crucial and is a cornerstone of current healthcare practice. However, the use of AI and cloud systems is increasing, and the new technology can offer practitioners a range of additional benefits.
AI-Generated Operating Plans
Before surgery is carried out, healthcare professionals must carefully assess a range of factors to allow them to formulate a plan as they move forward. Things like patient medical history, current condition, and potential risk factors must be taken into consideration, and these can inform the type and strategy of the surgery that is ultimately performed.
AI systems can be used to streamline and optimise this process. By feeding an AI system with all of the relevant information, it can quickly and efficiently draw up a unique operating plan that is individual to that particular patient. This is an incredibly effective time-saving process and can allow surgeons and health practitioners to focus on other areas of patient care.
AI-Based Operative Assistance
We see an increase in the use of robotics to both perform and assist with surgical procedures. Robots have several advantages over humans. They are fast, accurate and not prone to human mistakes or errors.
However, surgery is a complicated procedure that can come with several variables and unexpected situations. Robots powered by AI systems are able to dynamically respond to different potential situations during surgery, adapting and altering their actions to best suit the needs of the patient at the time.
Cloud-Based Data Management
The healthcare industry processes, stores, and manages tremendous amounts of data, including everything from patient info to inventory lists. With such enormous data banks, accessing information in an efficient manner can often be difficult.
Cloud systems are the perfect way for healthcare organisations to modernise their data, making it easier to access, which will, in turn, allow them to offer patients better care and treatment.
Conclusion
As with many industries, AI and cloud technology are set to offer the healthcare system a range of benefits and advantages. However, surgical procedures can still benefit from the continued improvement of traditional instruments that are already in use.
