Source:-The Conversation
AI is quickly changing European Healthcare across Europe, promising better care for patients and less stress for medical staff. A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), on the other hand, says that these technologies are being used without enough safety measures for patients and healthcare workers.
The WHO study looked at 50 countries in Europe and Central Asia and found big
differences in how AI is used, regulated, and paid for. Half of the countries
that were surveyed have added AI chatbots to help patients, and 32 countries
are using AI-powered diagnostic tools, mostly for imaging and finding diseases.
Many people are also looking into how AI can be used for patient screening,
pathology, mental health, administrative tasks, workforce planning, and data
analysis.
Spain is testing AI tools to find diseases earlier, Finland is using AI to
train healthcare workers, and Estonia is using AI for more advanced data
analysis. These are just a few examples of how countries are using AI in new
ways. The report says that only 26 countries have set priorities for AI in
healthcare and only 14 have given money to support these efforts, even though
these are good steps forward. Andorra, Finland, Slovakia, and Sweden are the
only four countries that have made national plans just for AI in healthcare.
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said that the lack of clear
plans, strong data protection, legal frameworks, and investment in AI expertise
could make health inequalities worse. He said, "AI is about to change
healthcare in a big way, but that will only happen if people and patients are
always at the center of every decision."
The report also points out a big problem: AI tools need a lot of data, which may not be complete, fair, or correct. This could cause mistakes like missing diagnoses or giving the wrong treatments. The WHO stresses how important it is to hold AI systems accountable for their mistakes.
The report says that European countries should align their AI strategies with public health goals, make sure that healthcare workers know how to use AI properly, make ethical and legal guidelines stronger, and be open with the public about how AI is being used.
Dr. David Novillo Ortiz, who works for WHO's European office, said that unclear
standards may already be making healthcare professionals hesitant to use AI
tools. He said, "It is very important to test AI systems in real-world
settings to make sure they are safe, fair, and effective before giving them to
patients."
The WHO report makes it clear that AI has a lot of potential for european healthcare, but careful planning, regulation, and oversight are needed to make sure
that new technologies help both patients and healthcare providers without
putting safety or fairness at risk.
Also Read World Care Magazine for further Information