Automation and Artificial Intelligence: Technology in the Modern Hospital

Organizations of all types and sizes are working hard to keep up with the growth of new data in 2018 – and succeeding! The abundance of data today is enabling organizations to make more informed decisions and provide higher quality services.

But where is all this new data coming from?

AI and Automation in Healthcare

The answer lies largely in automation and artificial intelligence. AI systems and automated technologies allow us to collect a higher volume of more reliable data than any previously established manual process. In recent years, they have been providing key upgrades in the medical field.

Both lend themselves well to medical settings because of what they are designed to do: artificial intelligence aims to replicate human thinking, making live decisions based on data it collects, while automated technologies follow sequences of preset rules meant to accomplish previously manual tasks, storing important data collected in the process. 

The Significance of Reducing Human Error

Pharmacies, hospitals, and labs especially benefit from these advancements because implementing either helps to lower the risk for human error. While it is not always this case, it has been suggested by organizations like Johns Hopkins that medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States, making the case clear for adopting these technologies.

In an effort to reduce the frequency and risk of abnormal events like misdosages or wrong measurements, automation and artificial intelligence are driving predictive analytics in healthcare settings. Predictive analytics can only be as accurate as the data it is informed by – if you don’t have historical data, predicting and avoiding problems becomes very difficult.

Upgrading Pharmacies and Hospitals

Thanks to these advanced technologies, pharmacies and labs now have a wealth of data they previously did not have easy access to. In the life sciences landscape, hospitals, clinics, and labs are taking advantage of AI and automation to use and manage this important data – including bedside stats, monitoring of important medications, and measuring proper dosages for patients.

Automated technologies are improving monitoring for patients and product – like important medications and vaccines, valuable samples for study or diagnosis, and environment for both inpatient and outpatient treatment. There is now more bedside data available, and with AI machines, medication doses can be live updated according to a patient’s live statistics.

Environmental factors that impact patients and product need to be controlled and monitored, including important vaccines and medications that are sensitive to temperature or humidity change. With automated sensors, environment is constantly monitored and any excursions are instantly reported. SmartSense sensors are automated and monitor data points like temperature and humidity to keep medications and vaccines safe for use, storing the data for later use in analytics.

Improving efficiency and quality of care are key reasons medical professionals are adopting AI machines and automated tech in their organization. In many laboratories, time consuming and inaccurate manual titration methods are still used. With automated titrators, labs find the process is easier, faster, and more replicable – making a lab run more efficiently and serve patients a higher quality of care. This improves the patient experience, a goal we at SmartSense support wholeheartedly.