AI First Healthcare Book - Excerpt from Introduction

We think of AI as being synonymous with machine learning, and because of that, we

don’t think about building complete AI systems accounting for processes, structures,

experiences, and patterns of care delivery, which can be enabled by machine learning

models, natural language processing, and more. Framing the problem this way helps us understand and set the stage for developing AI systems, not just machine learning models or building simple, intelligent, robust systems that embody remarkable, frictionless experiences for all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. That’s why we wrote this book, as a primer for employing AI in healthcare without a narrow focus on machine learning. Each chapter moves us incrementally closer to understanding how we make AI the center of everything we do in healthcare without focusing on AI, and this is what we mean by AI-First. A lot of what we discuss is both ambitious and aspirational but also realistic.

There is no magical solution or technology such as AI that fixes healthcare, just like there isn’t a single technology solving all problems in banking, retail, automotive, tech, or any other industry. Existing healthcare systems are enormously complex, and multiple attempts to revamp their structure and function have failed. Repairing complex healthcare systems may not be the answer; instead, we propose rethinking how we build production-ready tools, experiences, and intelligent systems using data that work for doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, patients, and care facilities.

Today, in one process or one tool within one specialty, AI delivers value: finding cancer, diagnosing eye diseases, identifying abnormal images, enabling early detection of the onset of Alzheimer’s or depression, and more. Think about the Internet and the shift to web pages, and then the shift to mobility as we moved to apps. Now, with AI, we embrace natural human interface modalities such as voice. The experience of how people interface with machines should change along with the underlying systems. By applying AI to various situations/roles within healthcare, we create a more integrated and thereby less complex system for users, whether they are consumers, providers, or payers.