Artificial intelligence has saved the HSE more than one million hours over the past five years, according to the health service’s chief technology and transformation officer, reports Breaking News.
Damien McCallion said that “a really aggressive target” has now been set for the coming year, which could deliver an additional half a million hours in time savings, reports Breaking News.
He was speaking at the Mater Hospital in Dublin at the launch of Ireland’s first national AI for Care Strategy.
The initiative, unveiled by the Minister for Health on Wednesday, is described as being “dedicated to the safe, responsible, and effective application of artificial intelligence in health and social care”, reports Breaking News.
The strategy outlines how both healthcare staff and patients could benefit from quicker diagnoses, improved patient flow through services and earlier identification of diseases.
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Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said “robust safeguards” such as mandatory human oversight are essential and stressed that AI in Irish healthcare “is to not replace the clinical expertise, not replace the clinical judgment, but to work alongside it as a partner, to work alongside as a wing man”, reports Breaking News.
During his presentation, Mr McCallion explained that the strategy focuses on four key areas: supporting clinical decision-making, public health, research and healthcare operations.
He said it was within the operational area that the significant time savings had been achieved, reports Breaking News.
Mr McCallion said considerable progress had been made during the Covid-19 pandemic and added that the challenge now is ensuring those gains are maintained.
He said the time savings were achieved “through automation processes, through the use of AI automation” in areas including public health, human resources and finance, reports Breaking News.
Speaking to reporters after the event, he was asked whether such automation could threaten jobs in the health service.
“So what we’re looking at is not necessarily about trying to take jobs out of the system.
“That time can be released to patient care, either to support activities or clinical time and relieve other pressures in the system.
“Many of our clinical staff are looking for more admin support to release them to clinical time,” he said, reports Breaking News.
He added that if the “drudgery” of “typing things in” could be automated, it would free up staff time to focus on reducing waiting lists, contacting patients and providing support in areas that have a greater impact on care.
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