How Artificial Intelligence Has Impacted Innovations in Medicine

New disease outbreaks are constantly challenging society. Look at the increase in cold and flu symptoms once people started mixing again after the worst effects of Covid-19 had passed. On a more serious level, have you been keeping up-to-date with the latest developments of Strep A? The new-found disease that people feared would increase UK hospitalisations as it did in Australia. Like with anything, the arrival of new problems needs a solution; so, illnesses need medicines and treatments. 

As we are living in a world with rapidly advancing medical technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a bigger role in medicine innovations. This blog explores the impact of AI and how a degree in biomedical science can help you keep up with the latest trends in an evolving and life-saving industry. 

AI in Disease Detection and Diagnosis  

Being human involves a natural element of error. From a medical perspective, this human error can lead to the limiting of diagnosis accuracy and efficiency, particularly in general clinical practice and rural areas. This is because interpreting medical knowledge is often challenging in these areas. AI not only reduces human error, but unlike us, it never sleeps. This means that the speed of processes can be increased using AI, leading to quicker diagnosis and detection processes.

If you’re wondering how AI can be used, machine learning models can be implemented to observe patients’ vital signs who are receiving critical care so that clinicians can be alerted if risk factors increase. AI is also able to collect more complex data that is beyond a human’s capability, and it looks for more complex conditions, like sepsis. For example, according to IBM, one of their clients developed a predictive AI model for premature babies that proved to be 75% effective in detecting severe cases of sepsis. 

Personalised Disease Treatment

Precision medicine is something else that AI can have a major impact on. In a nutshell, precision medicine is medical care that is designed to optimise efficiency or therapeutic benefit for certain groups of patients. The aim is to provide a more precise approach for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Subsequently, precision medicine is something else that can be easier to support with AI. This is because AI can provide real-time customised recommendations for patients at all times. This means that rather than having a repetitive information process with a new patient every time, a reformed healthcare system can provide 24/7 access to an AI virtual assistant that answers questions based on medical history, preferences, and personal needs. Again, this can help speed up providing patient treatment.

Accelerated Drug Treatment

Remember how quickly the UK released the first Covid-19 vaccine? Usually, drug discovery is one of the longest and most costly parts of the development. But with the advancement in AI, this could be set to change. There are two ways in which AI could help reduce the cost of developing new medicines:

- Creating better designs 

- Finding new drug combinations

Why is this? Essentially, it’s because with AI technology, the data challenges that the life sciences industry had previously faced would be overcome. 

Could you be the Scientist behind the Next Life-Saving Medicine? 

If you’re an analytical, right-minded person with a desire to save lives and love the idea of a rewarding career, the sciences could be the industry for you. 

This September, the University of Bolton are launching a new BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science course! So, if you’re looking to embark on your university journey, we could help you become part of the first group of students to gain a degree in an industry that is vital towards providing the NHS with the medicines they need to be the heroes they are. 

Throughout the course, you can expect to gain a thorough understanding of human biology from a medical perspective, whilst also exploring the methods and technologies used to diagnose and treat diseases. Let’s look at some of the course highlights...

- Our biomedical science courses were voted first for Student Satisfaction*

- The course is designed to meet the academic requirements for registration as a biomedical scientist by the Health and Care Professions Council

- We've consulted our contacts in the NHS and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies about the design of this course to ensure that our graduates possess the knowledge and skills these industries need

- We are seeking accreditation from the Institute of Biomedical Science for the September 2023 intake

- The course focuses on developing your practical skills by giving you hands-on experience using equipment in our high-spec instrumentation laboratory, situated inside the multi-million-pound Queen’s Specialist Building

- Anatomy and physiology classes will take place in the £31 million Bolton One building; providing large, spacious clinics and a well-equipped physiology laboratory

- Students get the chance to explore medical biochemistry, molecular genetics, medical microbiology, clinical immunology, haematology, and transfusion science

- We offer smaller classes, which means you get more one-on-one time with our experienced lecturers who are committed to supporting your career ambitions

Does the University of Bolton provide the support you are looking for? To find out more about the BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science course, click here. 

For more information, please contact us at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or call on 01204 903807. 

Choose #UniAsItShouldBe; because putting you first is what we do.

*Complete University Guide – Student Satisfaction – Northwest - 2022