Beyond Pills: The Promising Role of AI in Holistic Health Care
I stumbled through the flames of despair for five long years. After a misadventure with hallucinogenic mushrooms, my anxiety and depression became so overwhelming that I was unable to step out of my house for days at a time. Desperate for help, I consulted with doctors, alternative practitioners, shamans, even energy healers — anything to take away the pain. I wasted thousands of euros on therapies that either didn’t work or made me worse. My steps through hell were guided by an ever-present darkness.
My life was crumbling before my eyes. Psychotherapy was a start but it couldn’t cure the inner turmoil. I needed answers and I had to fight for them. I sought out a doctor that truly heard me, who understood the complexity of my condition. We ran tests that determined an inflamed gut and a dangerous autoimmune disorder called mast cell activation and, to make matters worse, the medication I was taking was only exacerbating the situation.
I had heard of the brain-gut connection, but I never understood just how big of an impact it had in mental health. After we began to restore my gut flora, changes were apparent within a few weeks. I had been diagnosed with many ailments throughout the years, but none of the medical experts seemed to understand that I had a systemic issue. Our medicine is fantastic at treating symptoms, repairing broken bones, replacing hearts, and helping people in emergencies, yet it often fails to prevent or address systemic problems.
The tests we ran and the analyses we conducted weren’t very complex. The laboratory had some rule-based guidelines attached to the results that would have indicated to us that there may be additional issues. The problem is that these tests aren’t covered by public health insurance so doctors don’t get paid to review the data. The science of today is far more advanced than what is being used in general medical practice.
How can we close the gap between patient care and technology? How do we make sure that doctors get access to the latest science, present in the form of easily understandable reports fed directly from patients’ personal health records? How do we make sure that patients get a tool that helps them make healthy decisions, so they can better engage in their own care? I believe that AI can be the answer. Solutions are already underway.
As technology advances with lightning speed, medicine is also harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Diagnosis is one of the most important ways that AI is making its mark, soon becoming indispensable for medical doctors. AI systems will no longer be a mere suggestion for doctors, but rather a necessary component to consult in order to make an accurate diagnosis.
The transition to AI-driven medical care is being driven by AI’s capacity to rapidly and accurately survey and process vast quantities of data. Human medical practitioners, conversely, often depend on their own knowledge and experience when deciding on a diagnosis. However, with the massive amount of medical literature and research available, it’s impossible for any one doctor to stay current with all the latest developments.
AI systems, by contrast, are able to quickly read through millions of reports, studies, and patient files to recognize patterns and make connections that a person doctor could potentially overlook. This can lead to more precise diagnoses and better treatment results. For example, an AI system could analyze a patient’s medical history and identify potential risk factors for a certain disease or condition. This information could then be used to create a personalized treatment plan that is tailored to the patient’s specific needs.
Of course, it’s important to note that AI-assisted diagnosis is not meant to replace human doctors, but rather to augment and support their decision-making process. Medical doctors will still play a crucial role in the diagnosis process, as they will be responsible for interpreting the results provided by the AI system and making the final diagnosis.
It is highly likely that in the near future, medical doctors will be required to consult with AI systems before making a diagnosis. Studies have estimated that diagnostic errors are a significant contributor to patient harm and death. A study published in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety in 2016, estimated that diagnostic errors may account for 6–17% of deaths due to medical errors in the United States. This would translate to around 80,000 to 160,000 deaths per year.
Another study published in the Journal of Patient Safety in 2013, estimated that diagnostic errors may account for 10–20% of all adverse events in hospitals. A more recent study conducted by the National Patient Safety Foundation in 2020, found that diagnostic errors were the leading cause of malpractice claims, accounting for 42% of all claims in the U.S.
The ability of AI to process and analyze vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, along with its ability to detect patterns and identify potential issues, will lead to more accurate diagnoses and better treatment outcomes.I am confident that the integration of AI in healthcare will not only improve the overall quality of care, but also promote a more compassionate approach to patient treatment.
Rather than relying solely on medication, AI will facilitate a holistic approach, providing guidance on how to communicate with patients and empower them to tap into their own healing abilities — the true foundation of health. Medication should be considered only as a last resort, and AI will demonstrate this fact.
I do not intend to place blame on medical doctors. I am aware that they entered the field with the intention of helping others, but I believe that they are currently working with inadequate resources, limited by insurance regulations, slow-moving organizational changes, and restricted access to the latest scientific advancements.
It’s important to keep in mind that the incorporation of AI in the diagnosis process is not intended to replace the role of human doctors, but rather to enhance and support their decision-making. With the aid of AI, doctors will be able to attain the level of expertise they have always aspired to achieve.
