My AI assistant has also created a podcast episode for the following article. If you prefer listening to reading, you can listen to the podcast via the following link (ATTENTION: Podcast is created exclusively by AI, no guarantee for accuracy).

What are AI technologies?

AI technologies are programs, applications or apps that use artificial intelligence (AI) methods to offer their users added value. A well-known example of AI technologies is ChatGPT. The AI tool has become much more popular over the last two years, primarily due to its high level of user-friendliness and the fact that it is free to use. This type of AI tool uses a special type of artificial intelligence – generative artificial intelligence. Thanks to the use of generative AI, modern AI technologies are able to produce new content that did not previously exist in this form. AI technologies support their users in a completely new way and are able to scale more and more human processes. ChatGPT is very generic and not very focused on individual use cases. However, there are many other generative AI technologies that focus on very specific applications such as podcast creation, meeting notes processing, research, image creation and many more. A commented overview of tested AI technologies for relevant applications can be found in the Generative AI technologies overview.

Why are AI tools important for medicine?

(Generative) AI tools are revolutionizing almost everyone’s day-to-day work. They help to optimize work processes, better understand customers and patients and efficiently automate routine tasks. Many AI tools have precisely the capabilities that we humans sometimes lack. Or they are able to scale human cognitive abilities in a way that has never been seen before.

Generative AI technologies have already become indispensable in sectors such as marketing and retail. For example, more and more online stores are using generative AI technologies for product descriptions or social media posts.

Many areas of the healthcare industry are suffering from a shortage of skilled workers. Generative AI tools have the potential to counteract the shortage of suitable workers in some areas.

What needs to be considered with AI technologies in the medical sector?

The medical industry is characterized by regulations, high ethical requirements and a lot of sensitive data. There is therefore a lot to consider when using AI technologies in the healthcare sector.

1. data quality and security

• Data quality: AI technologies require large amounts of high-quality data in order to deliver accurate and reliable results. It is important that the data is complete, accurate and representative of the population it relates to.
• Data security: The protection of patient data is crucial. Data protection regulations such as the GDPR in Europe must be strictly adhered to in order to ensure the confidentiality and security of medical data.

2. regulation and compliance

• Regulatory requirements: AI technologies in the medical field must comply with regulatory requirements, which can vary from country to country.
• Compliance: Ensuring that AI solutions comply with legal and ethical standards is essential.

3. transparency and explainability

• Transparency: It is important that AI technologies are transparent and that their decision-making processes are comprehensible. This is crucial for building trust with users, especially doctors and patients.
• Explainability: The AI’s decisions should be understandable for users. This helps to increase acceptance and enables doctors to integrate the AI results into their clinical decision-making process.

4. ethics

• The use of AI in medicine must follow ethical principles to ensure that the technology is used for the benefit of patients and employees and does not cause harm.

5. integration into clinical workflows

• Ease of use: AI technologies should be designed to be user-friendly to enable easy integration into existing clinical workflows.
• Interface-friendly: The systems should be compatible with other medical technologies and software solutions. Ideally, the AI tools offer interfaces to other applications from the healthcare sector.

6. education and training

• Training: Doctors and medical staff must be trained to use AI technologies effectively. This includes both the technical operation and the understanding of the results.
• Further training: Regular further training is essential in order to remain competitive.

7. clinical validation

• Validation: Before AI technologies are used in clinical practice, they must be thoroughly tested and validated to ensure their safety and efficacy.
• Pilot projects: Pilot projects allow new AI applications to be tested under real-life conditions and their impact on clinical practice to be evaluated.

8. patient acceptance

• Education: Patients should be informed and educated about the use of K-technologies in their treatment. This helps to create trust and reduce fears.
• Consent: In many cases, patient consent is required, especially when their data is used to train AI models.

Which AI tools are suitable for the healthcare industry?

Due to the high regulatory requirements and the need for maximum data security, it is not always easy to find possible AI technologies for the healthcare industry. Below are a few selected AI technologies, all of which I have tested and scrutinized myself. I focused primarily on AI technologies for the German-speaking market.

1. SwissGPT – A secure alternative AI technology to ChatGPT for medical professionals

SwissGPT from AlpineAI offers medical professionals the opportunity to use various applications of ChatGPT, such as text creation, concept creation or brainstorming. The data entered by users in the input field is not passed on to third parties and is hosted exclusively in Switzerland or on the company’s own servers. SwissGPT is able to use various Large Language Models (LLMs). In future, the Swiss AI company will place greater emphasis on open source models instead of OpenAI models. This enables SwissGPT and the language model to be adapted to the specific requirements of the healthcare sector.

In contrast to ChatGPT, SwissGPT is not freely accessible, but requires the purchase of a monthly license for use.

Personally, I value SwissGPT not only because I am allowed to support the Board, but especially because of the high standard of data protection. If you just want to test an AI technology like ChatGPT for yourself, you can use the free ChatGPT on the condition that no sensitive data is entered. However, caution is advised for regular use in a doctor’s daily routine and widespread use by an entire team. The risk of personal data being entered into the input mask is too high. In this case, I recommend switching to an AI technology such as SwissGPT.

Click here for the website of AlpineAI and their product SwissGPT.

2. intonation for transcription and preparation of treatment reports

Intonate is a young startup from Switzerland that focuses on the automatic generation of reports.

Using the Intonate app, medical professionals can record entire treatments on their smartphone or laptop and have them transcribed by Generative AI. However, the special feature is not the simple transcript, but the fully generated report. The report follows the standards of medical reporting. Individual adjustments to form and content are also possible.

As of today (07-2024), the Intonate app is being used in a pilot phase by a number of medical practices in Switzerland and Germany.Intonate does not currently offer any fixed interfaces to other practice applications. Customers can. However, according to the founding team, this is set to change as soon as possible.

I myself have tested the AI technology a few times and was amazed at how well it can distinguish between small talk in a treatment conversation and content that is relevant to the report being created. I also know a few of their pilot practices and have received positive feedback in each case.

Click here to go to the Intonate website.

3. scispace for scientific medical research

Scispace, whose app is now known as Typeset, specializes in scientific research and scientific work. Researchers and medical staff use Scispace’s AI technology in a similar way to ChatGPT. However, the app’s answer generation is mainly based on scientific publications. The answers also contain detailed links and references to the respective sources.

It is also possible to upload your own PDFs or scientific papers and then ask the AI technology specific questions about them.

To gain initial experience with this AI technology, Scispace offers a free version. However, this is quite limited and quickly reaches its limits. Doctors who regularly search for new treatment methods or symptoms pay around EUR 20 per month to use the medium subscription.

I myself use Scispace as part of my doctoral thesis when I want to research new topics for the first time and am looking for literature sources.

Click here to go to the Scispace website.

4th Floy for quality improvement in radiology

The AI technology from Floy in Germany supports radiologists in detecting anomalies that are difficult to see. To this end, the Floy AI was trained with millions of data sets from extensive radiological experience. Personally, I don’t have any applications for Floy and have therefore not been able to test the AI technology myself, nor do I know their customers yet.

Nevertheless, I would like to encourage readers to test this AI technology at least once. Analyzing images often requires very precise and detailed work. Despite the high level of training of the human eye, there are numerous studies that prove that AI technologies are superior to human capabilities in some cases. At the same time, the necessary balance must not be neglected. Ultimately, the medical staff are responsible for the diagnosis and the resulting decisions. It is therefore essential that employees are aware of this responsibility and only use AI technologies such as Floy to supplement their human skills.

Click here to go to Floy’s website.

5. eggheads for training medical staff

The Zurich-based company eggheads.ai has specialized in dialogue-based employee training for years. So far, the biggest challenge has been creating the content. However, thanks to the integration of AI technologies into eggheads’ existing application, the creation of personalized learning content has been significantly simplified. eggheads.ai’s AI technology can create training courses for employees within minutes, taking into account the individual learning preferences and knowledge levels of different employees. In principle, eggheads is not specifically geared towards the healthcare industry, but AI technology is particularly well suited to this sector, as customized training and further education are essential in the medical industry, but are often neglected due to other obligations. AI technology helps to prepare the learning content in such a way that efficient and entertaining learning is guaranteed.

Eggheads.ai offers a free version for first-time users via its website. However, a subscription model is recommended for more intensive use of AI technology.

As a long-standing member of the eggheads.ai advisory board, I am happy to support the company. I also know some companies that use eggheads and, for example, create the latest hygiene training courses with eggheads.ai’s AI technology.

Click here to go to the eggheads.ai website.

6. aaron for secure AI voicebots for automatic answering of telephone calls in practice

Aaron is a Berlin-based startup that has been offering AI voicebots to automate phone calls in doctors’ surgeries and hospitals for a few years now. Aaron’s AI technology is primarily intended to deal with simple and repetitive questions, such as making appointments or ordering prescriptions, thus relieving the burden on medical staff. I haven’t had the chance to test Aaron myself yet. However, I know of two medical practices that are currently testing Aaron as part of a pilot phase. It seems that the AI technology for calls in High German is already delivering quite good results. At the same time, however, the challenge is to separate the calls that can be easily automated from those that need to be answered by employees. In addition to the technical requirements, meaningful integration into existing work processes should not be underestimated. And, of course, patients must also be informed and educated about the use of AI technology. Aaron is GDPR-compliant.

Click here to visit Aaron’s website.

7. spitch for privacy-compliant chat and voicebots in hospitals and healthcare facilities

Spitch is a Swiss company that has specialized in chat and voicebots for years. The special feature of Spitch’s AI technology is its outstanding ability to understand Swiss German. Although Spitch was not developed specifically for the healthcare sector and has not yet shown any specific adaptations for this area, its full compliance with European and Swiss data protection laws makes the technology particularly interesting for hospitals. I personally know of several successful projects in which Spitch’s AI technology has been used. It should be noted that Spitch offers an enterprise solution that does not offer self-service options via the website and the integration of the technology requires a comprehensive IT project. I therefore recommend Spitch especially for hospitals and larger healthcare facilities, while smaller medical practices should rather refrain from using it.

Click here to go to the Spitch website.

How can the responsible use of AI technologies in the healthcare sector be ensured?

In addition to specific training on the respective AI technologies, general training and education on the responsible use of AI technologies should not be underestimated. Employees need to understand the background to AI technology and learn when and how these new technologies can be used effectively and which tasks remain in human hands.

In short, you can achieve a mindful and responsible use of AI technologies such as ChatGPT if you take the following 5 tips to heart:

1. get to know the creator of AI technology

2. question every statement of Generative AI before you continue to use it

3. observe data protection and use secure solutions

4. separates tasks that are intended for artificial intelligence from those that are reserved for humans

5. share your experiences with your fellow human beings

You can find a comprehensive explanation of the individual tips in my blog post 5 tips for the mindful and responsible use of AI technologies.

I also offer workshops and lectures on the responsible use of AI technologies. You can find more about this and other resources on the AI with foresight page.

Conclusion: AI technologies and AI tools for the medical sector

Even though the healthcare industry is characterized by many regulations and high data protection requirements, I still strongly recommend considering the use of AI technologies. There are already a number of good AI technologies that are very easy to implement and should at least be tested as part of a pilot phase.

If you would like to know more about this or similar topics, write me a message with your wishes and questions. You can send your message by WhatsApp message or by e-mail.

Or you can also come to my AI seminar for the healthcare organization of the future. Two days on site in Zurich in the fall.

This article is also available as a podcast episode

Attention! The podcast was created entirely by my AI-Assistant based on my contribution – no guarantee for incorrect content.