Table 1 Examples of the transformative impact of AI-intensive applications across tasks performed in clinical medicine and medical research
Task category | Routine (Repeatable and easy-to-define tasks) | Non-routine (Complex and difficult-to-define tasks) |
|---|---|---|
Manual (Opportunities for automatization with robotics and computer vision) | • Monitoring of physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and body temperature • Timely and accurate administration of medication to patients • Disinfection and sterilization of medical equipment and facilities • Inpatient registration and management of insurance information | • Accurate and precise procedural skills for performing surgical interventions, such as incisions, sutures, and handling soft tissue or bone • Guidance of patients with physical therapy exercises • The operation of diagnostic imaging instruments, such as X-rays, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging equipment • Transportation of patients within a medical facility |
Cognitive (Opportunities for automatization using machine learning and natural language processing) | • Charting and note-taking of patient history and physical examination • Pre- and intraoperative surgical planning • Individualized disease risk prediction and prognosis • Interpretation of clinical findings, lab results, and diagnostic imaging to guide patient management | • Synthesis of clinical practice guidelines based on the current state of evidence • Writing scientific research articles • Communication among and between various stakeholders, such as patients, insurance providers, and healthcare professionals (patient education, counseling) • Intuitive clinical and surgical decision-making |