TEHRAN –The first symposium on artificial intelligence in health, with a focus on smart hospitals, is planned to be held in Tehran in the summer.

Organized by Amirkabir University of Technology, the event will bring experts together to discuss global solutions as well as local models to develop smart hospitals utilizing AI in hospital management, the health ministry’s website reported.

The symposium will be centered around AI assistants for hospital managers, AI-optimized patient experience, automation and robotics in smart hospitals, smart healthcare monitoring of patients, Internet of Things (IoT), smart medical equipment, and AI-based decision support systems.  

It will also focus on empowering doctors and staff in smart hospitals, utilizing AI in resource and supply chain management, developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and discussing ethical, legal, and security issues in using AI in hospitals.

MOU signed for using AI in medical treatment

In January, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology and Tehran University of Medical Sciences signed a memorandum of understanding to use artificial intelligence for medical treatment purposes.

The agreement which was inked on January 11 aims to promote the targeted support of the knowledge-based ecosystem in the field of health with a focus on omics and genomics studies, cell therapy in endocrinology and metabolism, person-centered medicine with artificial intelligence tools for prevention, prediction, diagnosis, and treatment, and finally innovation in the commercialization of products and services, ISNA reported.

Statistics have shown noticeable cost savings, about 40 percent, using artificial intelligence in health in advanced countries. In some specific cases, like breast or lung cancers, artificial intelligence can lower healthcare costs by 80 percent, hence, a knowledge-based economy should aim to utilize AI to save healthcare costs, IRIB quoted Mostafa Qanei, the secretary of the Biology Development Headquarters, as saying.

Developing smart healthcare document

Smart University of Medical Sciences (SMUMS) has compiled a smart healthcare document, which is currently in the final stages of approval.

Once approved, the document is a valuable step taken towards digital transformation in the country’s healthcare system, Hassan Bakhtiari, the SMUMS president, said in December 2024. 

The SMUMS research center is a suitable place for conducting applied research and recruiting medical researchers. The center can also help develop treatment and reduce treatment costs, he noted.

Highlighting that most of the regional countries are pioneers in artificial intelligence, he said: “Iran needs to strengthen its position in the artificial intelligence sector in the region.”

AI plays a key role in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases. It also improves the quality of medical services.

Bakhtiari went on to say that by using AI technology, the development of medical services in disadvantaged and rural areas can be put on the agenda. 

Telemedicine is one of the areas in which AI can help establish health justice by providing access to advanced medical services in remote areas, he added.

MT/MG