The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Improving Eye Care
When artificial intelligence is mentioned, there is a level of futuristic conception some people have towards the term. To this set of people, they feel it is an activity that is out of place, more like something that happens in another world. This is a huge misconception since artificial intelligence as a concept is very much with us and part of our daily engagements. In the area of eye care, artificial intelligence is fast becoming a solution to severe cases that require thorough diagnosis and treatment.
The objective of artificial intelligence (AI) in eye care is not to make the ophthalmologist redundant, rather it improves their services and further makes them accessible to patients. Most eye care specialist centers are fast embracing this new technology as a solution to several years of eye treatment with limited diagnosis. When looking for a good center for eye care, you should search out one like Heru, Inc. that incorporates artificial intelligence in their services would be beneficial as there are limitations that come with human diagnosis that the machine may read.
What we’ll be doing in this post is to highlight some roles that artificial intelligence plays in eyecare and different ways they can be used to improve eye care.
Please read to learn more.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
AI is basically an algorithm. It is a set of commands that a computer adheres to in solving a problem or performing a task that ordinarily require human efforts and intelligence. Most importantly, it is not futuristic as some of it are already in use by humans daily. Some examples are Alexa the voice recognition app, social media feeds that pop up as a result of previous interest, and customer service chatbot on some websites.
Role of Artificial Intelligence in Eye Care
Below are listed some roles artificial intelligence plays in eye care.
Screening
Over the years, there has been a significant improvement in the area of screening patients with diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. With AI, the challenges that limited resources pose have been addressed to a large extent and this has also reduced the number of people who queue up to see the ophthalmologist.
Also, the time it takes to detect an eye disease has reduced significantly as the AI can do this within split seconds. This has provided the solution of having to wait for long before results can be released and treatment will follow. The interval between tests and release of results can lead to the degeneration of the disease in some cases but thankfully the presence of the AI has closed this window.
Accessibility
With AI comes a good measure of access for patients from diverse age, location and income level. In fact, most beneficiaries of this technology are from rural areas. Before the advent of AI, rural areas were often short of specialists who need to be on call to tackle the myriads of cases that need attention. However, the limitation in terms of human resources has made most people domiciled in these areas to stay without easy access to eye care and this has led to the degeneration of some cases. Presently, AI has increased access to health care and people in rural communities can now get quick diagnosis and response.
Research
Artificial intelligence has the capacity to speed up research. For instance, researchers need pictures of patients who are reported to have had critical AMD. They need these pictures to draw out the commonalities needed to get the accurate result. With the help of AI, many images are processed within seconds and this is way faster and reliable than when it is handled by humans.
Artificial intelligence has revolutionized healthcare technology and it is fast becoming one of the most sought-after technologies in medical facilities. If you are looking for a visual representation of how AI is used for eye care, you can check out this video.
Challenges Trailing Artificial Intelligence in Eye Care
Briefly discussed below are some of the challenges trailing the role of AI in eye care:
Job Loss
With the increasing incorporation of AI in most facilities, ophthalmologists are at the risk of losing their jobs. This has caused the cynicism that has trailed the usage in some facilities as they believe it will finally make some physical efforts irrelevant since machines can effectively attend to several people within a short time. A good way to manage this situation will be to introduce other areas that ophthalmologists can research on and make themselves relevant in handling such areas, since image reading is more accurate when done with these machines.
Cost of Equipment
Every good thing comes at a cost and this is the case with artificial intelligence equipment. These equipment are expensive hence very few facilities can afford to purchase them. Additionally, these facilities will have to go for an AI solution that fits right into the IT infrastructure already in place as well as incorporate in their workflow and all these come at a cost.
Programmed Outcome
The AI algorithm searches only what you tell it to search. Because of that, it might probably miss important details that a human can easily notice. If the variables change, the algorithm has to be learned again. For example, the IDx artificial intelligence system uses pictures captured with Topcon’s retinal cameras. If you change your camera, the algorithm may find it difficult to recognize images.
Finally, AI algorithms are called “black boxes” because sometimes it’s practically impossible to observe critically. Researchers also find it confusing how one algorithm works and another algorithm doesn’t.
What we’ve looked at above are some of the roles of artificial intelligence in eye care. If you require more information on this or other related subjects, you will always find materials online. Additionally, if you need tips on how to care for your eye, you can check here: https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-Your-Eyes.
Conclusion
The role of artificial intelligence in taking care of human eyes cannot be overemphasized. The advent of this technology has further simplified some of the procedures that were hitherto difficult for physicians who have to battle with numerous patients daily. While it may have some challenges trailing it in the area of job loss and cost of purchasing the machines, it is a technology that has come to stay and most facilities that understand the importance are fast embracing it.
