5 ways AI is revolutionising healthcare, from robot nurses to mental health support

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we live, work and play – and it is revolutionising healthcare in many ways, too. Its use in creating smarter processes and systems could lead to cheaper, more efficient healthcare for everyone. By flagging issues for doctors, AI allows them to focus on complex cases and improve diagnostic accuracy, says Christine Yuan Huang, a doctor-scientist and biotech entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of Quantum Life, a Hong Kong company that aims to reinvent healthcare for healthy longevity. AI helps those in healthcare provide more personalised, targeted treatments, increasing the likelihood of success while minimising side effects, she says. “And as it helps automate time-consuming administrative tasks such as medical coding, billing and appointment scheduling, it reduces administrative burdens, enabling clinicians to dedicate more time to patient care.” The result? “Patients benefit from earlier and more accurate diagnoses, leading to timely and potentially life-saving treatments. Thanks to personalised treatments, they receive therapies specifically tailored to their unique needs, improving outcomes and reducing trial-and-error approaches in medical care. “Streamlined administrative processes result in shorter [waiting] times, fewer billing errors and a smoother overall experience.” 5 ways AI is changing the healthcare industry The global AI in healthcare market size is projected to grow from a little over US$39 billion this year to almost US$491 billion by 2032. Here are five of the ways the technology is revolutionising the sector, both by helping healthcare workers help patients and by helping patients, or would-be patients, help themselves. 1. It encourages healthy habits CueZen, a company based in the US state of Washington, has developed a generative AI engine that integrates data from wearables, self-reports and clinical records and provides personalised assessments for members of the health programmes that use it. It sends highly personalised “nudges” to help guide members towards better health. If a wearable detects that a user’s physical activity level has dropped, they may get a reminder to take a walk or a nudge to join a fitness challenge. One of the earliest adopters of its technology is the Singapore government, which makes the technology freely available to its citizens. Tom Lawry is a former Microsoft executive who is now an AI transformation adviser to global health and medical companies, and the author of Hacking Healthcare – How AI and the Intelligent Health Revolution Will Reboot an Ailing System. Since Singapore introduced CueZen, Lawry says, it has seen “improving longevity and quality-of-life outcomes, such as a significantly higher number of daily steps and increased exercise minutes by the residents”. 2. Minimises healthcare worker burnout In December 2024, Singapore’s National University Health System unveiled Missi, an AI-powered “robot nurse”. Thirty such robots will be rolled out as part of a pilot at the National University Hospital this month. Nurses helped in Missi’s design; it takes over repetitive tasks to free them up for duties that require the human touch. The robotic nurse companion can help pharmacists with medication delivery and prescriptions. It takes instructions from nurses and performs other tasks assigned to it, including guiding patients around the ward and helping to monitor their condition. 3. Offers 24-hour virtual support AI-powered online virtual assistants and chatbots can provide round-the-clock support, answer questions and offer basic medical advice. Some are designed to help with mental health. Apps like Woebot, which launched in 2017 with a team of psychologists and AI experts at Stanford University in the US state of California, and Wysa, a year-long effort between a 15-member team of psychologists, designers, developers and more than 500,000 users to understand how AI chat can help people build emotional resilience, are examples. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Woebot Health (@woebothealth) While not meant to take the place of qualified mental health professionals, they use conversational AI to provide cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and emotional support for mental health management, says Huang. In a recent American study, participants with diagnosed mental health disorders engaged with an AI-powered “therabot” through a smartphone app. At the end of the clinical trial, they reported that the interactions were comparable to working with a therapist. The patients’ symptoms also improved significantly over eight weeks. The results were published in the medical journal NEJM AI, from the publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine. Huang says such technology not only allows healthcare providers to focus on more complex patient needs, but gives patients access to immediate, reliable information and support, improving engagement and adherence to care plans. 4. Helps check and manage symptoms Rather than relying on “Dr Google” to search online for information about medical conditions and symptoms, tools like Ada and Buoy Health help patients understand symptoms and suggest when to seek medical care. AI is used in apps to help perimenopausal women track fluctuations in their hormone levels to better manage symptoms like mood swings, decreased libido, weight gain and night sweats. Hormony, for instance, is a hormone testing and health management tool that helps women measure their perimenopause hormones at home. The tool combines rapid saliva tests with an AI-powered mobile app, providing customised insights and support. Conceived by Singapore-based start-up Prelude Health, Hormony will be launched this month. 5. More accurately predicts and detects disease A study involving nearly 500,000 women in Germany found that the use of AI in breast cancer screening increases the likelihood of disease detection. When the AI tool was used to examine mammograms, doctors caught one more cancer case per 1,000 screened individuals than when they did not use AI. The study results were published in January in the journal Nature Medicine. According to Professor Alexander Katalinic, a co-author of the study from the University of Lübeck in Germany, this approach “could improve the detection rate without increasing the harm for the women taking part” – and reduce radiologists’ workload. AI’s future in healthcare In the next five years, AI will be deeply integrated into every aspect of healthcare, Lawry says. “While challenges remain, innovators are continuously pushing the boundaries, and the benefits of AI in healthcare will likely outweigh the risks when implemented responsibly.” He highlights trends and innovations we can anticipate. AI-driven diagnostics and early disease detection Combining data from many sources – genomics, imaging, electronic health records, and wearable data – will enhance early disease prediction. Advances in liquid biopsy AI models will allow cancer detection at much earlier stages. Personalised and predictive medicine AI will analyse genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors to tailor treatments for individual patients. AI models will help predict how patients will respond to medications based on their genetic and biological markers. AI-powered clinical decision support systems will assist doctors by suggesting treatments and flagging potential complications. AI and wearable technology for remote monitoring AI-powered wearables will continuously monitor vital signs and detect health issues like heart disease, diabetes complications and early infections in real time. AI will help monitor and manage chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes by analysing data from wearables and suggesting interventions. AI in ageing and longevity AI-powered longevity research will analyse biomarkers of ageing and genetic data to develop interventions that slow ageing and prevent age-related diseases. Mitigating AI risks The potential to revolutionise healthcare comes with risks, such as privacy breaches, security vulnerabilities and lack of oversight, Lawry says. AI’s misuse could lead to errors in diagnosis or treatment decisions. To mitigate the risks requires strict data-protection measures, transparent AI models and regulatory frameworks ensuring ethical use, Lawry stresses. “Clinicians must stay at the centre of decision-making, using AI as a tool rather than a replacement. Continuous monitoring, bias audits and human oversight will be crucial to ensuring AI enhances – rather than compromises – patient care.” Like what you read? 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5 ways AI is revolutionising healthcare, from robot nurses to mental health support

Doctors say using artificial intelligence will make future healthcare more effective, such as by rapid diagnosis and tailored treatments