A report conducted by Accenture shows that if healthcare facilities embrace automation technologies to their full extent by 2023, cost savings of up to $150 billion per year will be realized in the US alone. According to this report released in 2021, it is also mentioned that technologies of automation, such as both AI and RPA, can assist healthcare providers to enhance operational efficiency, alleviate errors, and improve patient outcomes.
ResearchAndMarkets.com is another study that predicts that the global healthcare RPA market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 43% between the years 2020-2025. This report has indicated a rising need of RPA in the healthcare context which is necessitated by the presence of routine and repetitive activities in healthcare, cost reduction, and enhancement of care quality.
According to these studies, it can be said that the automation technologies in healthcare have increasing demand, and the usage of AI and RPA will change in popularity in the near future.
Let’s dive in.
AI and RPA in Healthcare
Healthcare is a very large and significant industry in the world as it offers basic services to millions of people on a daily basis. Over the past few years, technology has been able to advance, and various innovative solutions have been developed to enhance efficiency, quality, and accessibility of healthcare services. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are two of the potential technologies in this regard.
AI can be described as the creation of computer systems that are capable of carrying out functions that can be most often done by a human being being intelligent or having intelligence, like in recognizing images, understanding speech, and making decisions. Artificial intelligence can transform how medical workers treat, diagnose, and monitor patients in the healthcare sector. To illustrate, disease indicators, including cancer, can be detected swiftly and precisely with the help of artificial intelligence medical imaging machines, which process large quantities of medical data and images. This does not only save time but it also enables the medical professionals to make better decisions that lead to the possibility of patients having a successful outcome.
RPA on the other hand is a technology that can automate repetitive manual processes like data entry and processing and analysis. RPA can be applied in healthcare to simplify most of the administrative procedures that are included in the patient records and claims management. This does not only save time and minimize chances of errors, but also liberates the healthcare professionals to attend more important activities which necessitate their expertise.
Why should AI & RPA be applied to Healthcare?
Although AI and RPA might present tremendous opportunities to the healthcare sphere, the increasing agreement is that the two technologies should be combined to achieve the most beneficial effect. The following are some of the most important reasons as to why healthcare must have both AI and RPA:
- EFFICIENCY: The ability to use AI and RPA together in order to reach even greater efficiencies is one of the most important advantages of using both of these technologies in the medical sphere. An example of this is the analysis of medical images with the help of AI algorithms that are to reveal any potential issues, and RPA that is to be implemented to schedule appointments and organize treatments. By doing so, the AI and RPA may collaborate to provide more efficient healthcare services that are faster and more accurate.
- REDUCE MANUAL WORK: The other benefit of applying both AI and RPA in healthcare is the fact that they are capable of delivering some relief to the healthcare providers regarding the number of manual tasks that they have to perform. This is especially crucial in the modern demanding and hectic healthcare setting where practitioners usually lack time and money. Automating routine and repetitive tasks, AI and RPA can assist healthcare providers to minimize the number of manual tasks they have to accomplish and save up on the available time and resources which can be applied to more significant tasks.
- BETTER QUALITY OF CARE: AI and RPA can be used to improve the level of care to the patients as well. As an illustration, medical images can be analyzed by artificial intelligence algorithms much more precisely and faster than a radiologist. This can assist healthcare givers in making earlier diagnosis which consequently can result in earlier and effective treatment. Likewise, it is possible to automatize the work on scheduling appointments and organizing treatments with the help of RPA and minimize the possibility of errors and enhance patient outcomes.
- COST SAVINGS: Lastly, AI and RPA application in healthcare will also save costs and, thus, make healthcare more affordable to patients. AI and RPA can be used to prevent the number of manual operations required to be carried to be increased, which as a result can lead to the saving of labor expenses. Moreover, AI algorithms can also be used to analyze medical images and, therefore, minimize the necessity of further diagnostic tests, which will also save money.
To sum up, AI and RPA use in the healthcare sector can transform the manner in which healthcare services are provided and deliver care to patients more efficiently, accurately, and swiftly. Automating routine and repetitive processes, minimizing the amount of manual work, enhancing the quality of care, and lowering costs, AI and RPA can assist healthcare providers to achieve the most optimal results in the case of their patients. It is therefore apparent that the healthcare industry should take up the synergy of these technologies in order to transform their healthcare experience.
