Machine learning will reshape clinical services

Clinical services and healthcare provision are rapidly advancing. The reason: a digital revolution in the healthcare sector spearheaded by machine learning (ML). With growing pressure to drive efficiency and improve patient care, healthcare providers are increasingly looking towards new technology to provide solutions. However, for the healthcare sector to fully realise the potential of ML, it still needs to overcome certain barriers.

The onset of ML could be a tonic to the pressure healthcare faces as a result of an ageing population and funding constraints. It’s also a development that could improve the patient experience, satisfaction rates and outcomes. The technology could be used to help clinicians diagnose patients more quickly and accurately. There are also  gains to be made in terms of accelerating the completion of administrative tasks. By reducing this burden on time-poor clinicians, ML can help increase the amount of time they are able to spend with patients. 

Some healthcare organisations have been quick to adapt to the potential offered by ML. The technology is being used to facilitate speech-to-text recognition in the clinical diagnosis process at the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, reducing time spent on paperwork. It is also being used in Germany to help more easily identify different types of cancers. In the UK, innovative tech start-ups are beginning to develop applications that harness ML’s diagnostic ability to reduce pressure on overstretched hospitals and GP services.