AI has been a hot topic for years and we are now just discovering the possibilities of what it can become. Healthcare is among the top industries that are likely to be impacted by this growing technology. According to Yahoo Finance, the overall market for AI in healthcare is expected to grow to $188 billion by the year 2030 (from $11 billion in 2021).
One Houston-area hospital has gotten a first-hand experience in just what AI can do. Patients admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital are given a small monitoring device approximately the size of a half dollar. The device called BioButton is affixed to the chest and records vital signs, including heart and breathing rates. The readings are then wirelessly transmitted to nurses sitting in a 24-hour control room. The device’s software uses AI to analyze the voluminous data and detect signs a patient’s condition is deteriorating.
The FDA cleared use of this device for use in non-critical adult patients back in 2022. It has since been used in approximately 80,000 hospital patients in the US in the last year. Hospital officials say that BioButton has improved patient care and reduced the workload of bedside nurses since it was rolled out last year.
Sarah Pletcher, system Vice President at Houston Methodist stated the following, “Because we catch things earlier, patients are doing better, as we don’t have to wait for the bedside team to notice if something is going wrong.”
Despite its benefits, some nurses do worry that technology may end up replacing them and harming patients. Hospital officials stated that they have not made any changes in staffing, nor do they plan to as a result of implementing BioButton.
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