AI Can Replace Radiologists Who Don’t Use AI, Say Experts
There is a growing belief that AI will eventually replace radiologists who do not embrace the technology. This sentiment was expressed by Dr Harsh Mahajan, Founder & CEO of Mahajan Imaging, during a panel discussion at the BW Healthcare Award and Summit. The discussion focused on the role of AI and genomics in healthcare, particularly in radiology.
Dr. Mahajan pointed out that AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in all aspects of life, and healthcare is no exception. Radiology, in particular, has been at the forefront of digitalization in healthcare, with the first paper on AI in radiology being published in India. Dr. Mahajan believes that AI can replace radiologists who do not use AI, as AI has already shown success in detecting errors in chest X-rays. He emphasised that the use of AI by radiologists will improve their accuracy and productivity, making average radiologists good, good radiologists better, and better radiologists excellent.
Chandrashekhar Sibal, Senior VP of Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd., also believes that AI is going to play a significant role in people's lives. He cited the example of X-ray reporting, which was previously challenging due to accuracy issues. However, with the use of AI, this difficulty can be reduced, and AI can revolutionise this field. Additionally, AI can help detect fatal diseases like cancer and tuberculosis at an early stage, which will not only improve the capabilities of radiologists but also save patients a significant amount of money. However, Sibal believes that this change will not happen immediately but is likely to take some time.
Lokesh Prasad, MD of AliveCor, expressed that in India, there are two types of testing: preventive and predictive testing. While preventive testing is more common in India, predictive testing aims to predict the possibility of certain fatal diseases based on genetic predisposition. Prasad believes that genomics plays a significant role in predictive testing, but it is mainly used in diagnostics. According to a recent report by Mayo Clinics, 1 in 8 people tested for predictive testing showed some genetic predisposition. Prasad believes that this technology will improve overall healthcare.
During the discussion, all panelists agreed that AI is likely to replace radiologists who do not adapt to the technology. They are optimistic about this change and believe it will improve the accuracy and efficiency of radiology.
