Over the last century, advances in healthcare and medicine have been revolutionary. However, with the integration of AI in healthcare, growth and change have become exponential. From improved workflow efficiency to risk mitigation, AI tools help allied healthcare professionals do everyday tasks. Therefore, this breakthrough is relevant to allied healthcare professionals unfamiliar with this technology. Read on to learn more about AI breakthroughs for radiology jobs, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, dental hygienists, CT technologists, MRI technologists, and social workers.
Radiology Jobs
Radiology AI capabilities are exponentially growing. Over the past five years, radiologists and technologists have seen significant improvements in all aspects of their work through the use of AI. Radiology AI has optimized workflow efficiency by discovering potential abnormalities and developing imaging faster. This improvement can be attributed to the development of AI in healthcare to aid human judgment and decision-making.
Radiology AI models are programmed to learn, which advances the technologies’ ability to predict and identify. On top of this, radiology AI has been able to develop personalized predictions for patients based on existing medical history and the x-ray.
Given the importance of radiology AI, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) has introduced artificial intelligence continuing education courses for medical imaging, interventional procedures, or radiation therapy. The ARRT’s goal is to stay up to industry standards, especially with the increasing dominance of AI in healthcare.
Pharmacist
According to the Pharmacy Times, the future of AI in pharmacy jobs is poised to greatly enhance efficiency. First, AI healthcare technology can assist pharmacists in organizational methods. This means that inventory management will be a primary responsibility of AI by predicting prescription demand and maintaining satisfactory supply quantities.
Another efficiency benefit is automatic dispensing systems. AI tools have the ability to label, fill, and package prescriptions accurately. This allows pharmacists to have more time to address patient needs and reduce wait times.
Occupational Therapist
It is essential to stress that artificial intelligence is a great help for occupational therapists and their clients. AI tools, particularly those that integrate with wearable devices, have the ability to provide immediate feedback about a patient’s current condition according to the American Occupational Therapy Association. From this data, AI can provide trend insights and offer personalized recommendations to occupational therapists.
Physical Therapist
AI will enhance both the physician therapy profession and the patient experience. At a recent conference hosted by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), industry experts presented the current developments in AI. Patients will be able to work on a customized recovery program at home through AI-powered virtual reality (VR) and innovative wearable technology. These applications are set to deliver physical therapists insights into the overall recovery process, which includes movement data.
Another use of AI tools is documentation. Occupational therapists can increase report accuracy by utilizing AI to generate reports, summarize client data, and suggest suitable treatment approaches. In addition to these benefits, AI is reducing time constraints on occupational therapists and providing patients with a higher level of care.
Dental Hygienist
With individual state regulations in mind, dental hygienists are typically responsible for x-rays. With the integration of AI in healthcare, this task is becoming more seamless and accurate. With the development of overjet and other effective AI assistants, x-ray quality and readability is better. With these capabilities, AI models can improve low-quality images and add color to highlight diseases and various structures. Another AI function is the ability to predict or identify dental decay. By utilizing machine learning, these models can assess risk factors and assist dental hygienists in providing more accurate and efficient care.
While AI in healthcare is rapidly evolving, dental hygienists are not up to speed. According to the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA), a significant majority of dental hygienists lack a concrete understanding of AI tools relevant to their occupation. This knowledge gap can be attributed to the expense of the new technology and training costs. These findings highlight that more must be done to educate allied healthcare professionals.
CT Technologist
CT Technologists are poised to see the development of AI in healthcare reach their line of work. AI is working to optimize CT scans and lower radiation exposure. While this has always been a challenge, imaging programs are utilizing AI to “reduce the noise” on images to further improve resolution. Deep-learning-based reconstruction (DLR) technology is a part of these changes because of its ability to access thousands of data sets, algorithms, and possible scenarios.
These improvements allow for a more safe work environment and accurate results. Please note this technology is still being developed by multiple companies but is already being rolled out.
MRI Technologist
MRI technologists are already feeling the effects of AI tools. The benefits of AI in the MRI room range from shorter scanning times to early detection. The traditional MRI scan takes about 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the type of scan. For patients, this amount of time is uncomfortable in a tight space. Now, each scanning time can be cut in half due to the speed and quality of image processing.
A recent comparison made through an NYU study found that the AI x-ray model produced better image quality and was four times faster than the traditional model. AI in healthcare technology can optimize and enhance image quality in key areas, making it easier to review and interpret.
In addition to enhancing image quality and reducing turnaround times, AI can assist MRI technologists in identifying ‘suspicious areas’ during scans. During a routine scan, the technology completes a typical scan while also gathering specific imaging for locations that stand out.
Social Worker
Social workers have an integral role in assisting those who are at risk and underserved. As part of their responsibilities, social workers need various tools, and this is where AI comes in. AI tools designed for health monitoring and prediction can be integrated into wearable devices, homecare gadgets, and medical record systems. Thanks to the capabilities of AI tools, social workers can intervene early and provide support to their clients before a crisis develops. This allows the nature of social worker jobs to become more proactive and ease the demand on primary care providers.
Another development of AI tools to assist social worker jobs is homelessness prevention. In California, UCLA researchers have been able to develop AI models that can analyze records of Californians who have used public assistance. Consequently, 86% of individuals identified as at risk of losing their housing were able to stay in their homes. The landscape of social worker jobs has evolved, necessitating a proactive approach in the profession. With AI tools, social workers can narrow down their target population and provide resources more efficiently.
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