Most people never think about being harmed when they seek assistance from a medical professional. However, Johns Hopkins researchers have said that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the country. In most cases, these medical mistakes are preventable. Many companies and researchers are looking for ways to reduce the number of people injured and killed due to medical errors, and some are turning to artificial intelligence.
How could artificial intelligence reduce medical mistakes?
Hospitals and other health care systems do what they can to implement protocols in an effort to reduce the number of medical errors that occur. However, all too often, patients are harmed due to:
- surgical mistakes
- misreading laboratory tests
- completely missed diagnosis
- a misdiagnosis
- prescription medication errors
- healthcare-acquired infections
- and more
The Journal BMJsays that an estimated one in 10 patients experience a medical error and that at least 12% of those mistakes result in permanent disability or death. It makes sense that researchers are turning to technological innovations in an effort to reduce these errors.
One company, Ferrum, is said to be working on an artificially intelligent patient safety platform that could prevent medical errors. The goal of this company, and others, is to use AI to increase patient safety. Ferrumwants to begin with radiology and then expand to other areas of medicine. According to Ferrum CEO Pelu Tran, “In the U.S., only 2% of radiology scans are peer-reviewed to check for missed diagnosis or diagnostic errors, and of that subset, less than 1% are found to have errors, meaning that most medical errors are missed because we’re choosing studies at random. The problem is that it just isn’t feasible to have two radiologists review every single scan, although that would be safer.”
The goal, according to Tran, is to provide hospitals with a system that can review 100% of their radiology scans to prevent potential errors through the help of artificial intelligence.
Ferrumis hardly the only company working to develop AI systems in the field. Right now, the global AI medicine market was valued at $719 million in 2017, according to Allied Markets Research.
Will artificial intelligence transform medicine and reduce preventable medical errors? If so, this could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year in the United States.
We are here to help you today
If you or somebody you love has been injured due to the negligence of a medical professional, seek legal assistance as soon as possible. At Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli, and Pratt P.A., our team has the resources necessary to conduct a full investigation into what happened and secure the compensation you need. This can include
- Compensation for all medical expenses related to the medical mistake
- Lost income and benefits if you cannot work
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages
- Pain and suffering damages
- Punitive damages against the healthcare provider responsible
When you need a Hawaii medical malpractice attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 808-736-5035