Conway Medical Center weighs in on artificial intelligence in healthcare

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - As our world continues to advance with the help of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has generated a lot of buzz lately in healthcare. AI healthcare providers share the goal of treating more patients, cutting down the cost of healthcare, and ultimately aim to achieve better outcomes.

Artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry uses human-created algorithms through a computer-driven system to break down complex medical data, and helps with decision support around treatment. Healthcare providers can then easily sift through large amounts of data to identify infections sooner, improve preventative medicine and enhance diagnostics. Results from an Accenture report estimated that AI applications in healthcare could save up to $150 billion annually for the U.S. healthcare economy by 2026.

Local hospitals like Conway Medical Center are already using forms of AI in their electronic medical records, such as a sepsis monitoring system used to alert doctors and nurses. With these advancements in the healthcare industry, doctors say it can reduce human error and boost overall outcomes.

“It can be a second set of eyes. The other thing you have to look at too is when we’re looking at big data. We can have computers that can read thousands of studies in seconds," said Dr. Paul Richardson, chief medical officer at Conway Medical Center.

In the next few months, Richardson says Conway Medical Center will launch robotic surgery in several departments. The robots will still have a human touch - surgeons will be able to direct movements of the robot, resulting in faster recovery times and fewer risks. Additionally, in the next few weeks, the hospital will launch a 3T MRI scanner, which Richardson says is a higher resolution MRI that will allow staff to conduct high-tech imaging studies.

“My hope for the future is - our number one goal is to deliver the best healthcare to each patient every time, and if we can utilize or leverage technology to do that, then I think we’re all the better for it," said Richardson.