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The articles on eClinic's pages are intended as general information and are not suitable for diagnosing your own symptoms. For advice and health professional follow-up, it is recommended to book a consultation, or to use ours Symptom checker.

What can artificial intelligence be used for in the health sector?

Artificial intelligence is being used to a greater and greater extent in several fields, also in the health sector. How can artificial intelligence be used in digital healthcare? What kind of potential lies in the use of artificial intelligence?

The use of digital health services has gained momentum during the pandemic. Used properly and in combination with artificial intelligence, it can contribute to the efficiency of the health sector. It is also an important tool for early detection of disease.

It is also possible to imagine that the use of artificial intelligence in the health sector can help Norway meet the coming wave of the elderly.

In the coming years, there will be more and more elderly people to take care of. This offers increasing challenges, especially in peripheral municipalities with large distances and a shortage of health personnel in Norway, writes NRK which says that the aging wave and lack of nurses threaten the home care service.

By 2040, almost a quarter of the population will be over 70 years old.

Can new technology and the use of artificial intelligence in the health sector contribute to the health service being just as good, but where the human resources are utilized more purposefully than today? Can technology help reduce the need for physical contact between healthcare professionals and patients?

Norway is well equipped to use digital services and artificial intelligence in the health sector

In general, Norway has come further than many other countries with the development of fiber and 5G. This lays a good foundation for the use of digital solutions and artificial intelligence in the health sector. The pandemic has forced the whole of Norway to digitize at lightning speed.

This has led the health sector to use video consultations on a large scale. This has provided useful experiences, but it is easy to go back to "old habits".

With the experiences we have gained and the challenges we face, I believe that digital health services and the use of artificial intelligence in the health sector is the way to go. Artificial intelligence can be used in many areas and can analyze data quickly.

Artificial intelligence is therefore an important tool in the health sector, and health personnel can get good help by using it in the assessment phase.

Recently, I myself have been involved in the company AMS, which among other things works with the use of artificial intelligence in the health sector.

AMS has developed symptom checks

Using artificial intelligence, AMS has developed a symptom checker. The symptom checker can be used as an aid for healthcare professionals, as it can quickly analyze a number of symptoms. It can also be used by patients who are wondering what their symptoms mean and what they should do next.

As of the spring of 2021, AMS 'symptom checker is able to analyze around 12.000 different symptoms.

Diagnosis

After the patient has entered their symptoms, the symptom checker will analyze them and make a preliminary diagnosis. The symptom checker is currently able to make around 600 diagnoses. And it is right in 93% of all cases.

This means that the symptom checker can guide the patient in what they should do next, and what kind of doctor they should contact. AMS offers consultation with many different medical specialists via its service eClinic.

Automation of appointment booking

An exciting opportunity with the use of artificial intelligence in the health sector is the opportunity to automate appointments for patients.

Patients with chronic diseases digitally record their symptoms and values. In the event of major changes in the disease picture or in cases where the values ​​have a negative development, artificial intelligence can be used to automatically order follow-up with a doctor.

Artificial intelligence analyzes the data material in an efficient and precise way and can therefore be of great help to patients. It will also make the health care system more efficient by avoiding unnecessary follow-up hours if there are no changes in the disease picture.

make an appointment

We have more than 100 affiliated nurses, doctors and specialists. We are expanding with new specialties and services for online consultations. Our specialists can also offer a "second opinion."

81% of patients do not need to see healthcare professionals

With digital services backed by artificial intelligence, patients experiencing new and unknown symptoms can get help mapping symptoms and signs.

During a short dialogue with the service you can clarify:

  1. Is it urgent, do I have to contact a doctor or 113 now?
  2. Should I book a consultation with a doctor or nurse?
  3. Observe the condition yourself and follow the advice given

In 81% of cases, the patient does not need to seek physical health care. These are findings based on statistics from 7 million anonymous users of Infeormedica's symptom checks and 2,1 million users of TytoCare's sensors.

KI-based mapping

We are already used to observing symptoms and even contact a GP or emergency room if we have health problems. Unfortunately, it is often the case that many refuse to make contact. Many people are also unsure of what symptoms to watch out for.

So why can't patients use more advanced KI-based mapping tools and make simple measurements? 

Effective KI tools that have been used by thousands of patients exist. eClinic has developed the Norwegian version.

Patients have always taken measurements:

  1. Temperature 
  2. Blood pressure: Measurements made at home are often more reliable than those you take in a stressful situation at the doctor's office. Many people have blood pressure monitors at home.
  3. Oxygen saturation: To detect exacerbation of disease such as sepsis or severe Covid-19, patients should be able to measure oxygen saturation in the blood. Modern heart rate monitors already have this feature.

In addition to this, a simple ECG can detect arrhythmias when they occur. Simple magnifiers that connect to the smartphone can act as an extended arm for the dermatologist. 

With an ear microscope, the doctor can look into your ear or down your throat even if you are in the cabin or in the boat. 

By combining systematic questioning and simple measurements, it is easier to identify patients at risk and thus strengthen patient safety

A Covid patient can score their subjective symptoms and enter simple measurements such as oxygen saturation and temperature.

The overall score tells whether the patient is at risk and should be admitted to hospital.

The use of artificial intelligence in the health sector is the future

The use of digital solutions and artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector can help ensure patient safety. It can also give us a more efficient healthcare system. For this to happen, the health trusts must know their visiting hours. They must use and develop more and better KI-based digital health services.

Contact us

Get in touch to learn more about our services and how they can be adapted to fit into different insurance and occupational health services.

Symptom checker

eClinics Symptom Checker is an advanced AI tool with 880 diagnoses. It gives you an overview of possible causes of your symptoms and health problems. You will receive advice on what to do next.

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