[Source: Supplied]

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the medical landscape and is a powerful set of tools with the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery.

This was highlighted by Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences Assistant Professor Hemanth Lakshmikantha, at the 2024 Health Professionals Education Symposium last week.

He says AI in the medical field represents a transformative leap forward, offering vast potential to enhance patient care, streamline operations, and advance medical research.

Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences Assistant Professor Hemanth Lakshmikantha

Lakshmikantha states that AI improves the ability to assist in early diagnosis, predict patient outcomes, and personalize treatment plans, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy in healthcare.

He adds that AI also streamlines administrative tasks, reducing the burden on healthcare providers, and employs predictive analytics to foresee disease outbreaks and patient deterioration, enabling proactive interventions.

Lakshmikantha also emphasizes the need to ensure that AI augments rather than replaces the human touch central to healthcare, preserving ethical standards and empathy in patient care.