The rise of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) over the past few years has seen AI-driven hardware companies such as NVIDIA skyrocket in value from the widespread adoption of these technologies. The two are frequently paired in a software platform, mobile app or web app, with machine learning pulling in data, and AI technology using that data to “make decisions.” And since machine learning allows for incremental improvements, ROI can actually increase over time.
In 2023, the healthcare AI market totaled approximately $19.5 billion — a metric expected to increase to a whopping $490 billion by 2032. Such exponential growth — over 2,000% — may make industry leaders wonder about machine learning use cases in healthcare and the possibilities they present for enhancing an organization’s efficacy.
AI and Machine Learning Use Cases in Healthcare
Historically, the healthcare industry has pioneered pivotal advances in medicine as well as technology, due in part to the inherent need for new and ongoing improvements in care and treatments. Recent years have seen significant improvements in healthcare with machine learning implementations that help expedite advances in surgery, pharmaceuticals and patient care. An increasing number of physicians are using this technology to augment the diagnostic process and to deliver faster treatment with greater precision and accuracy.
Consider the following AI and ML use cases in healthcare and medicine.
Application
Description
Customized Treatments and Medications
ML enables healthcare professionals to develop customized medications and treatment plans for a vast array of conditions — including cancer — for dramatically improved patient outcomes.
Public Health and Pandemic Predictions
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public health predictions. ML technology facilitates the processing of large volumes of data required to inform accurate predictions. This allows public health officials to take action sooner and with more reliable information.
Pharmaceutical Development
Data drives the creation and testing processes for new drug therapies and treatment regimens. By leveraging AI and ML researchers gain the ability to rapidly analyze large datasets. They can also accelerate the identification of patterns and trends that guide the development of a drug and the drug trial stages.
Reducing Pharmaceutical Dispensing Errors
A simple typo on a prescription label. A misplaced decimal point. That’s all it takes to create a scenario whereby a pharmacist dispenses a potentially-deadly dosage of medication. AI and ML applications can identify problematic practices; then, they can deploy solutions via AI-powered process automation. This serves to minimize human error and increase accuracy.
Clinical Trials and Research
ML and AI empowers researchers as they work to make sense of large volumes of data by identifying patterns while simultaneously accounting for methodological limitations. This technology can even be used to review clinical articles on related studies. Additionally AI can also help refine medical formulations and treatment regimens at the center of a clinical trial or study.
Early Disease Detection
The efficacy of ML and AI for pattern recognition is well-suited to those seeking early (or difficult) diagnoses. While early symptoms can sometimes be ignored or misattributed, machine learning implementations in diagnostic systems can identify early warning signs and improve outcomes for patients living with chronic diseases or auto-immune conditions.
Patient Self-Service Portals
AI and ML applications improve self-service portals and kiosks by extending functionality that enables patients to make appointments for complex health issues. They can also check the status of prescriptions, review past visits and much more.
Patient Data and Consent Management
Data-driven ML and AI platforms analyze and store electronic health records (EHR) to improve patient intake. Digital consent and release forms offer a more sanitary process for obtaining and updating patient records.
Each use case offers a unique set of values to different institutions in the healthcare industry, and countless additional application possibilities for adjacent industries such as insurance and consumer services. Overall, AI and ML dramatically improves operational efficiency, reduces risk, improves service/product quality and ensures that an organization maintains regulatory compliance.
These examples of machine learning uses in healthcare only begin to illustrate the many potential benefits. To make the most of ML-powered solutions, organizations will want to partner with an experienced custom AI developer that has experience in the healthcare industry. Below, we’ll explore two specific case studies to demonstrate how 7T has successfully optimized this functionality for clients in the healthcare space.
ML in Healthcare Case Study 1: MPOWERHealth
7T created an innovative AI application for MPOWERHealth, which deals in software for clinical practices.
As a healthcare software provider, MPOWERHealth provides data-driven solutions to healthcare providers in a variety of medical specialties. The Digital Transformation goal in this business case was to improve efficiency and increase the quality of care in the operating room (OR).
A failure to adopt data-driven tools made the required administrative work cumbersome and subsequently, OR staff struggled to integrate medical practices with their own platform. The awkward admin workload also decreased OR efficacy in the areas of management and proper waste disposal.
To ensure MPOWERHealth could provide the best possible solutions for client ORs, 7T created an enterprise medical mobile app for iPads — commonly used in OR settings‚ designed to improve efficiency with data metrics access, backend software integrations and simpler, more sterile administrative solutions.
These examples of machine learning uses in healthcare only begin to illustrate the many potential benefits. To make the most of ML-powered solutions, organizations will want to partner with an experienced custom AI developer that has experience in the healthcare industry. Below, we’ll explore two specific case studies to demonstrate how 7T has successfully optimized this functionality for clients in the healthcare space.
MPOWERHealth Medical Mobile App Capabilities
Feature
Capability
Data On Demand
- Displays patient data metrics in a simple, at-a-glance format.
- An assignment board offers clinicians quick access to view assigned tasks.
- In hectic OR environments, a convenient timer function delivers essential reminders,
- like notifying clinicians when it’s time to take patient vitals.
Easy Integrations
- The platform includes SSO integration for easy, rapid sign-on.
- USMon and other backend application integrations improve efficiency by sharing relevant data and communications on multiple platforms.
Simple, Sterile Solutions
- The surgeon eSignature sign-off feature offers a sterile alternative to keeping pens and paper in the OR.
- The sharps count prompts ensure patient safety by providing medical staff with a tool to verify that no pointy metal objects are accidentally left behind.
Results
By providing solutions to common OR pain points, this platform helped MPOWERHealth deliver the value their clients have come to expect. The features that were included in this medical mobile app streamlined the following tasks.
- The app generates a detailed log of all activities and data arising from OR monitoring procedures.
- The platform eliminates the need for pen and paper in the OR, delivering a more sterile solution.
Checklists and prompts ensure that all tasks are correctly performed during medical procedures.
An easy-to-use interface offers clinician prompts and reminders so nothing is forgotten or overlooked in busy ORs and other hectic healthcare environments.
The surgeon sign-off feature allows clinicians to officially sign off on procedures after their time in the OR.
A backend integration feature imports and pre-populates data from USMon, freeing clinicians to focus on their patients.
Comprehensive data privacy controls allow for full HIPAA compliance. - As a result, this client had a more sterile consent management protocol and better, more secure patient data organization
ML in Healthcare Case Study 2: IYWI
IYWI is a digital health platform designed to help support individuals as they strive to stay sober and progress through the addiction recovery process. The IYWI app platform is more involved than most consumer apps, yet it’s less invasive than court-ordered options whereby individuals are required to perform breathalyzer tests on a daily basis.
IYWI is an innovative app platform that therapists and other addiction recovery professionals can use to engage clients and support their recovery process. IYWI worked with addiction recovery therapists to determine the ideal degree of “invasiveness.” Gamification features encourage users to engage using six fairly non-invasive daily questions that professionals can use to evaluate an individual’s progress. If a client responds in a manner that raises concerns or fails to check in on a daily basis, the app will generate an alert, prompting addiction recovery professionals to follow up with that individual.
7T developed two platforms for the IYWI app: a client-facing app and a therapist-facing platform. IYWI is compatible with AA and other step programs. Users can perform a number of actions including the following.
- Set sober date;
- Track sponsor meetings;
- Add a sponsor’s contact information;
- Track their progress in AA or another step program;
- Set goals related to sobriety and / or a step program;
- Keep track of group meetings; and
- See connections with mentors, sponsors, etc.
The IYWI app is designed to be engaging and easy to use, with big buttons for daily check-in questions and gamification features such as charts and other graphic depictions of the user’s progress toward their goals. A user’s daily check-in question responses are automatically submitted to their therapist at midnight of each day and addiction recovery professionals can review each client’s responses the following day. For critical signals, the therapist is immediately notified and users can also make use of a one-touch emergency call/text feature, enabling them to contact their therapist or sponsor.
IYWI Addiction Care Mobile App Capabilities
Feature
Capability
Daily Check-Ins
Clients answer six daily questions to provide their therapist with insight into their state of mind and their progress through the addiction recovery process.
Critical Signals
When a client answers in a manner that represents a critical signal, the therapist is immediately notified so they can reach out to the client and offer support.
Progress Tracking
IYWI is compatible with AA and other step programs. Users can set goals and track their progress toward the next step using the IYWI app.
Goal-Setting
Goal-setting is an important part of the addiction recovery process. IYWI empowers users with gamified goal-setting and progress-tracking tools, which are designed to encourage patients as they move through the various steps of the addiction recovery process.
Results
IYWI’s gamification features maximize user engagement, while also providing clients with the tools they need to succeed. Intervention is simplified thanks to immediate critical signal alerts and one-click calls to the user’s sponsor, therapist and others who are assisting with an individual’s recovery.
In the therapist’s portal, users can view clients who are in the 0-to-90-day timeframe for their sobriety. There’s also useful data, such as incidences of relapse and how far in that relapse occurred. This sort of data can be extremely helpful, as it can be leveraged to spot trends and warning signs of imminent relapse.
As a result, this client was able to collect more comprehensive patient data, provide quicker and better service to their addiction recovery patients and keep themselves more accessible in case of emergencies. Patients got a simplified accountability structure, gamified compliance that made it easier for them to track their progress and a direct line of communication through their app.
Digital Transformations in the healthcare industry offer safer, more efficient and more transparent processes.
Finding the Ideal Healthcare AI Development Partner
The right technology — packaged within an engaging, user-friendly software platform — has the power to be a true game-changer, with tools that drive ROI for organizations in the healthcare industry. To maximize the value of adopting this technology, healthcare and medical organizations should seek out purpose-built platforms specifically designed for their use case by the right software partner.
The right custom software development partner will have experience working with multimodal machine learning-powered AI applications in the medical and healthcare industry and complying with relevant regulations. This is the best way to ensure that your investment is effective and doesn’t open your organization up to additional liability – with many apps even assisting with regulatory compliance and reducing associated risks.
Adopt ML and AI in Healthcare with 7T
The Digital Transformation development team here at 7T is guided by the approach of “Digital Transformation Driven by Business Strategy.” As such, the 7T development team works with company leaders who are seeking to solve problems and drive ROI through Digital Transformation and innovative business solutions such as multimodal machine learning-powered AI implementations in the healthcare space.
7T is based in Dallas, with additional locations in Houston, and Charlotte, NC. But our clientele spans the globe. If you’re ready to learn more about the use of generative AI in finance, with a look at how this technology can benefit your organization within the financial space and beyond, contact 7T today.
Reach out to our team today!
7T is based in Dallas, with additional locations in Houston, and Charlotte, NC. But our clientele spans the globe. If you’re ready to learn more about the use of generative AI in finance, with a look at how this technology can benefit your organization within the financial space and beyond, contact 7T today.
