AI: How can you bring health professionals and algorithms together?

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) can relieve healthcare workers and improve patient care. A survey among healthcare professionals in the medical and nursing sector by the 'Platform Learning Systems' has found that employees are open-minded, but demand changes in their daily work in return.

Prof. Karin Wolf-Ostermann is a co-author of the white paper resulting from the survey. In an interview with MEDICA-tradefair.com, she talks about the requirements and possibilities of AI in healthcare.

Prof. Wolf-Ostermann, what are the results of the survey?

Prof. Karin Wolf-Ostermann: Among health professionals in the medical and nursing field, there is generally a great openness to new technologies. But in my area of focus, nursing, about 90% of the published studies do not concern actual applications in practice. Few of these technologies have yet arrived in everyday care, particularly in long-term care.

In nursing, the target dimensions are often monitoring or classification of activities or health status. Many studies also deal with alarm management, fall detection, pain assessment, documentation, and duty scheduling. However, we often still struggle in care with the lack of digital infrastructure and the availability of high-quality data. The high individualization of AI decisions in particular is dependent on good data.

In the medical field, for example, there is already a very good data situation in hematology or radiology, and AI applications are already being used more frequently in these areas.

How do skilled workers need to be introduced to the topic of AI?

Wolf-Ostermann: The focus is on developing the skills to deal with AI systems. The new technologies must be integrated into existing structures and workflows and developed further in them. I like to use the term 'carpool' for this: not one partner has to pick up the other, but both have to start together, talk to each other, and design solutions. A high level of user-friendliness and acceptance are important for success in practice.

Are there differences in attitudes toward AI between nursing and the medical field?

Wolf-Ostermann: You can't differentiate by profession here but by area of work. The decisive factor is often the extent to which specialist staff are already familiar with AI and where they perceive relief through its use. If you work in radiology or intensive care, you already have a connection to the subject. Those who work in geriatric care or long-term outpatient care tend to have less experience with it.

Where do you see risks and problems?

Wolf-Ostermann: AI doesn't solve all problems; it's just one of the tools that can be used to make care better in a meaningful way in certain areas. But it shouldn't replace basic competencies that have to do with human care, for example, and it needs ethical standards. AI can help in making knowledge more easily available, and thus in making better decisions. At least at this stage, AI should not be left to make meaningful decisions without human control.

In which areas is the use of AI more urgent?

Wolf-Ostermann: It is important to lay the foundations for personnel development in education and training. In the area of nursing, we need to take care of reliable data repositories. Staff could be relieved of documentation tasks in the short term. Academic teaching-nursing institutions could form transfer bridges between science and practice.