Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming medical practice, with the goal of enhancing diagnostics and improving patient outcomes.

Consider a patient experiencing foot pain who visits an urgent care clinic. Currently, they might receive a preliminary x-ray interpretation, with a specialist to review the images later for a final diagnosis. This delay occurs because many urgent care physicians and nurses, while skilled, do not have the specialized training of a podiatrist, orthopedist, or radiologist in detecting subtle abnormalities. In the near future, AI could bridge this gap by providing highly accurate x-ray analyses almost instantly. By learning from vast databases of medical images, AI algorithms will distinguish between normal and abnormal findings with precision, potentially expediting diagnoses and treatment plans.

This concept is currently being tested for the detection of skin cancer. Many patients are advised to undergo regular skin checks. AI could enhance these exams by enabling individuals with suspicious lesions, such as on the foot, to scan them using a smartphone. By analyzing changes over time and alerting the patient when further evaluation is needed, the AI system could make monitoring more accessible, timely, and efficient.

However, AI is not without ethical concerns. Some corporations have been accused of using AI to deny legitimate medical services and claims. I recently experienced this firsthand when a patient’s claim was rejected based on an AI-driven assessment. After submitting a rebuttal with medical records proving the inaccuracy of the insurance company’s interpretation, the insurance company admitted to using medical coding to misrepresent the situation. Cases like these highlight the need for transparency and oversight in AI applications within healthcare.

[The picture above was created using AI.]