Healthovation September issue focuses on a timely and a critical theme- ‘Digital Health Transformation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence’. We are witnessing a revolution within a revolution. The rate of growth in machines’ ability to perform some cognitive functions usually associated with human minds, is mind-blowing. The known boundaries that shaped the digital health revolution are being expanded at an unimaginable magnitude with the advent of GenAI which is a branch of AI algorithms that can be used to create new content including text, images, codes, simulations and videos. It is now becoming somewhat clear to healthcare educators and practitioners the enormous benefits that they can derive from AI to improve healthcare education and professional practice.
We are in the threshold of a ‘cognitive industrial revolution’. The invention of steam engine in the late 18th century massively revolutionised manufacturing, transportation, and construction. According to Silicon Valley pioneer Reid Hoffman, GenAI is the ‘steam engine of the mind’. The current AI revolution is seen as a ‘cognitive revolution’ that could energise all language-based abilities such as communication, reasoning and analysis leading to innovative applications in healthcare education and practice. Recent breakthroughs in the field have the potential to change the way healthcare knowledge is imparted and care is delivered. It seems that within the next few years, any process not linked to AI would be considered ‘outdated’ or ‘less effective’.
It is expected that GenAI could bring about high potential value in improving clinical productivity as well as patient engagement and experience. Other areas include administrative efficiency and effectiveness, quality of care and service delivery, research and education. Harnessing the power of GenAI, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurs could use the massive amount of unused, unstructured data idling in the system to generate innovative solutions to wicked problems in healthcare industry. Healthcare educators can apply AI powered, innovative pedagogy to impart knowledge and train the interns. GenAI’s ability to transform the digital health space is limitless.
The articles in the current issue delve into several relevant themes in healthcare education and practice. The article ‘AI’s impact on healthcare education’ assesses the influence of AI on healthcare education. Several articles explore important themes related to AI application in healthcare practice. They include AI applications in nursing and patient care in Australia, ethical use of AI in healthcare, AI powered wearables, psychotherapeutic digital mental health interventions, technological transformations in nursing industry, virtual reality applications in remote surgery performance, technology impacting modern social work practice, AI’s ability to forecast and manage disease outbreaks and AI’s role in digital health transformation.
I fervently believe that you would find the articles in the current issue interesting and insightful.
Associate Professor (Dr) Chandana Hewege, PhD, PFHEA
Chairman of the HCI Governing Board | A/Prof, Department of Management & Marketing, School of Business, Law & Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University, Australia. | Principal Fellow, Higher Education Academy, UK | Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors | Certified Carbon Literacy Trainer, The Carbon Literacy Project, UK.