Around here, we’re all for organisations using technology to work smarter. We’re also across industry trends so that we’re not only able to understand the impact of our own work, but the impact changes might have on our clients. Over the last few years, we’ve worked with a bunch of organisations in the medical industry with a focus on ensuring confidentiality and data security are front-of-mind.
Enter artificial intelligence, or AI, which has revolutionised the way people think and work around the world and at home in Australia. While the Australian Government has invested in AI to improve outcomes in healthcare, there are still concerns around cybersecurity in healthcare.
Advantages of AI in Healthcare
Let’s take safety, security and privacy out of the conversation for a minute (unusual for us, we know). There are a number of advantages of AI being adopted in the medical industry before sensitive or personal information and data even come into the conversation. A good example of this is administrative staff; where the correct use and prompting of AI for generating routine documents, as well as scheduling and billing, could free up their time for direct contact with patients and doctors. This technology could also be used to assist triage nurses with prioritising in-hospital emergency departments without disclosing personal information.
AI may also have a hand in improving the overall patient experience by reducing wait times or even removing the need for additional appointments through analysing medical imagery and reports, but that’s where the lines get a little blurred around safety and security.
Disadvantages of AI in Healthcare
The algorithms used in AI are not always perfect, which could mean errors and misjudgements in diagnosis, treatment plans and more when it comes to healthcare outcomes. AI technology is also very reliant on the information it is given by human input, which means it won’t always be referencing all of the data that it might need (if information is left out by accident, for example).
This is where we bring safety, security and privacy back into the fold (phew!). Given the sensitivity of information that lives in the healthcare and medical industry, data breaches remain a concern, while a lack of resourcing to ensure everything is safe and secure would lead to more vulnerability to cyber attacks.
Privacy Concerns with AI in Healthcare
So, while we can see that there are both advantages and disadvantages of AI being used in the medical industry, it does spark a bigger conversation around privacy concerns with (and without) AI in healthcare. More broadly, does the application of AI in healthcare come at the cost of securing private and personal information, or does it mean that we stick to what we know works when it comes to securing sensitive patient data?
One thing’s for sure, the healthcare industry and medical services really do need world-class security, and that’s where we come in. As specialists in medical IT support, Xenex Systems is experienced in offering secure data hosting and end-to-end medical industry IT services for a broad range of medical groups.
Get in touch to book a free, no-obligation audit and explore your media IT support options with us.