New Delhi: Artificial intelligence (AI), despite obvious concerns about its ability to create job losses, is slowly and steadily gaining ground in the medical world. Doctors say that AI has truly revolutionized the medical field and changed the way healthcare is approached.
Dr Rajeev Kumarprofessor of urology and associate dean of academics at AIIMS Delhi, said AI had potential future use in medicine and healthcare. “AI is already being used for the interpretation of images such as X-rays, CT scansMRI, etc., because it is easy to train AI tools to read images,” he said.
“It is faster and more consistent than humans in classification because humans may not appreciate all the features of each image, particularly when the response time has to be short, but the AI has been trained to look at all those features. ”.
In fact, AI algorithms can often detect features that humans can’t even read. “When evaluating the images, there could be a difference of opinion between clinicians. The machines, in some of these cases, can work out the difference because of their consistent algorithms,” Kumar said.
He added: “From now on, we don’t rely on AI to make a diagnosis, but we use its features.” The only form of AI currently being used in urology is in nomograms and algorithms to predict the likely outcomes of patients with the disease. However, AI is expected to play an important role in the future, particularly in MRI reporting for prostate, bladder and kidney cancers, suggesting treatment options and predict disease outcomes. “AIIMS Delhi has been designated a Center of Excellence for AI in Healthcare by the Union Ministry of Health. Faculty in departments there have initiated projects in three broad areas using image recognition: radiology (evaluation of chest X-rays), dermatology (skin lesions), and ophthalmology (lesions of the cornea and retina). We hope these tools will be ready for implementation soon,” Kumar said.
Dr. Meinal Chaudhry, Director of Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology at Aakash Healthcare, explained where AI has advantages. “With the help of AI, we can check the quality of an image, whether it is reportable or not, which means that even when the image is bad, we don’t have to call the patient back for another image. This is a great value addition for the patient,” Chaudhry said.
The second advantage of AI, Chaudhry added, was the prioritization of critical X-ray reports. “AI can tell us which cases are critical and need immediate attention because they can be life-threatening,” he said. She said AI can also analyze trends from past X-rays. When a patient comes to the radiology department for an X-ray, an AI software will also see all previously taken images and alert you if anything seems noticeable.
In explaining this, he gave the example of detecting a life-threatening pneumothorax, when air accumulates between the parietal pleura and the viscera, causing the lungs to collapse. Sometimes some air leaks into the pleural cavity and collapses the lung, so there is a very fine line between normal air entry and pneumothorax. “AI can alert the radiologist if there is a pleura and diagnose it as soon as the X-ray is taken. It’s definitely a life-saving algorithm,” Chaudhry said.
AI is being used for preventative health checks such as chest x-rays and spinal MRIs, said Kabir Mahajan, associate director at Mahajan Imaging. “If an X-ray report is normal and is processed by the AI, it automatically sends a report to the radiologist, who accepts or edits it. But if the AI detects something abnormal, it puts markers on the X-ray so the radiologist knows what to look for or consider,” Mahajan said. This helps the radiologist make a more informed decision when writing his final report.
AI is also being used in CT scanning, reducing scan time by 30 percent without compromising quality. “The scan is done in 10 minutes, which provides less hassle for patients and also allows hospitals to do more scans in a day,” Mahajan said. “We have been doing this since 2019 but in different formats. Through AI, we detect more abnormalities, but the price of the tests remains the same for patients and they get more value for their money.”
Dr Mohinish Chhabra, director of gastroenterology at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, said the AI was helpful in detecting colorectal cancer, which is the fifth most common cancer in India, claiming several lives each year. He said: “We were the first to launch an AI detection device to detect a precancerous growth called polyps/adenomas, which typically take 10-15 years to become cancerous. So if polyps are detected and removed at an early stage, the risk of cancer decreases by up to 90 percent and the chance of premature death is reduced.”
The gastroenterologist said that it had been estimated that between 55 and 60 percent of all cases of cancer of this type occurred due to polyps that were not detected on a colonoscopy. “AI is a great help in the detection of colon cancer, since this tool doubles the detection of polyps that measure less than 10 mm. They can be identified and removed during the colonoscopy procedure,” he said. There are some types of cancer in the body that can be prevented. These include cervical and colon cancer. Other cancers can be found early like breast cancer, but only after it has developed. So the main difference is in detecting a cancer early and detecting a pre-cancer that can later become cancer.
Dr Sajjan Rajpurohit, Medical Director, Oncology, Max Superspecialty Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said AI technology has brought about a significant transformation in precision medicine. “AI technology has made it simple to identify drug efficacy for individual patients. In the field of oncology drug discovery, AI has enabled the identification of patients with specific genetic mutations, thus enabling targeted drug treatments,” Rajpurohit explained.
He added: “In addition, AI tools help doctors predict patient outcomes, allowing them to tailor treatments for better results. Early detection is crucial in cancer treatment, and AI-enabled mammography and metabolomics-based blood sample analysis are proving vital in detecting breast cancer early. With artificial intelligence technology making healthcare more accessible, efficient and effective, the future of medicine looks brighter than ever.”
PSRI Hospital gynecologist Rahul Manchanda said AI was being used in many fields, including gynecology and women’s health. “The data fed into the computer and machines help form algorithms to diagnose complex problems and then treat them with precise management through minimally invasive surgical techniques and robotic surgery,” Manchanda said. “Since all endoscopic and robotic surgical techniques involve computers as an image transfer system, deep learning methods help with more precise surgery with these systems.”
The addition of AI helps make minimally invasive surgical techniques such as laparoscopy and hysteroscopy more precise. AI guides clinicians to avoid complications and thus promises better surgical outcomes for the patient and better patient outcomes. However, robotic surgery goes one step further with AI improving range of motion and precision. This further decreases complications and blood loss. Robotic surgery is of course also ergonomic for the surgeon because he can sit comfortably in front of a computer screen and guide the robot precisely.
