AI in Healthcare: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Healthcare Workers?

Key Insights:

• Many people are worried that AI will replace their jobs, but many experts in the healthcare space consider this technology more of a tool that can help healthcare professionals do their work better and more efficiently, rather than serving as a replacement.
• AI offers several benefits in the healthcare space, such as improved productivity and better patient care, but it also has a few drawbacks, such as patient privacy and health information regulation issues.
• Regardless of the future of AI in healthcare, UMA is here to help you prepare to pursue your future in this field, both through providing the education you need for your desired role and by offering you support with academic challenges you may face as an adult learner.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can give us a more personalized shopping experience, help us navigate traffic, autocorrect our emails, and more. But this technology may also cause you to be fearful of how it may impact future careers. If you have these worries, you aren’t alone.

In a survey of 38,000 working adults, roughly one in three reported feeling scared that their job would be replaced by AI.¹ Since Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) offers healthcare degree programs, our learners may wonder about the impact of AI on healthcare jobs specifically. Here’s what you should know.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence refers to technology that is able to “reason, learn, and act in such a way that would normally require human intelligence or that involves data whose scale exceeds what humans can analyze.”²

Will AI Replace Healthcare Workers?

Several organizations with expertise in occupational projections and healthcare systems offer insight into what we might expect, and they point to this answer: no, AI will not replace direct patient care healthcare workers.

For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shares job outlooks for several occupations. It reports that many of its 2023 to 2033 projections may be affected by AI, but no direct patient care positions made the list.³ Occupations that could feel some effects, according to the BLS, include those in computers and business or financial operations.

Medical biller and coder is an example of a computer-based healthcare role. It’s also one that the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) cites concerns about being displaced due to AI.⁴ But others stress that replacing this healthcare role isn’t so simple.

An article published by the AAPC (known previously as the American Academy of Professional Coders, but now goes by initials only) states that while AI can supplement medical coding, there are several obstacles to fully replacing this position.⁵ Complex medical records, changing healthcare regulations, and strict laws on patient privacy and health information security are all barriers to using AI without any human involvement.

“The American Medical Association commonly refers to ‘augmented intelligence,’ which stresses the importance of AI assisting, rather than replacing, healthcare professionals.” — Mayo Clinic, “AI in Healthcare” Article⁶

How Healthcare Professionals Can Benefit From AI

AI does offer a few benefits for people working in healthcare roles:

• Streamlined tasks. AI automations can help with administrative tasks such as patient scheduling, data entry, and medical coding.⁴ This could be beneficial if you work in a position with general office duties, like a medical administrative assistant role.
• Greater productivity. The AAPC reports that AI-based tools can help medical coders be more productive, also increasing their precision when coding patients’ medical records.⁵
• Improved disease prevention. Research suggests that AI algorithms can assess patients’ health risks and aid in disease prevention by analyzing trends and improving interventions.⁷
• More effective treatment decisions. AI applications can also help practitioners make better decisions about patients’ treatment plans based on clinical guidelines, advancements, and other digitized data, also reducing the likelihood of mistakes.⁷
• Higher quality and safer patient care. AI software can be used to identify patients’ risks of complications and drug dependency, enabling healthcare professionals to proactively protect against both when providing patient care.⁸

Drawbacks of AI in Healthcare

Although there are many potentially positive uses for AI in the healthcare industry, this technology does come with a few challenges:⁷

• AI programs can be difficult to understand.
• There are concerns about patient privacy and healthcare regulations when sharing information with AI tools.
• Because medical knowledge is continuously evolving, AI can struggle to keep up.
• AI isn’t always better at diagnosing patients when compared to a human practitioner.
• AI applications can be biased, and they lack accountability if they make a mistake.

Looking Forward: The Future of Healthcare AI

AI technology is constantly evolving, making it difficult to predict exactly how it will affect future job roles. While it offers some promising functionality, both in terms of helping streamline healthcare job functions and improving patient care, it also has several drawbacks or limitations.

As a provider of healthcare diploma and degree programs, you can count on UMA to continue to monitor AI trends in healthcare. What steps can you take to become a part of healthcare’s future, no matter what technological advances unfold?

Prepare at UMA for Pursuing Your Future in Healthcare

If you’re ready to pursue a career in healthcare, Ultimate Medical Academy is here to help. We offer several healthcare programs at our Clearwater Campus which can prepare you to pursue roles such as dental assistant, medical assistant, and phlebotomy technician.

We also offer a variety of online healthcare programs. You can learn about medical billing and coding, health information management, health and human services, and several other important healthcare positions and fields.

Why choose UMA?

UMA designs its healthcare education programs with adult learners in mind. We understand that as an adult learner, you have other obligations. You may work full time, have a family to take care of, and not have a lot to spend on a healthcare degree. We get it.

Our Student Services team is here to help with your school challenges. Whether you’d like to talk about your career goals, learn your financial aid options, get help with coursework, or want assistance finding a job post-graduation, our friendly and knowledgeable team members will help in any way they can.

When you choose UMA to get your healthcare education, you don’t walk alone. We’re with you from before you begin to well past graduation. Once you’re a member of the UMA family,we’ll treat you like one of our own.

Contact us to learn more about how UMA can help you pursue a career in healthcare. We look forward to hearing about your dreams and goals.

FAQs

• What is artificial intelligence in healthcare? AI in healthcare can refer to machine learning applications designed to improve patient care or technology developed to streamline or augment healthcare job functions. Examples include AI-based patient scheduling software, diagnostic applications, and medical coding tools.
• How does AI help healthcare? AI technology can be used to help diagnose and treat patients or contribute to patient safety. Healthcare professionals can also use AI to assist with administrative functions or automate certain tasks, freeing up time to focus on other job duties.
• What is the future of AI in healthcare? It can be difficult to predict what AI will look like years down the road because this technology is constantly evolving. We’ll continue to share what we know, keeping you advised of the future of healthcare based on information and sources you can trust.