TEHRAN – The health ministry has developed eight projects with a focus on smart e-health using artificial intelligence to realize the healthcare system transformation goal.

The projects include improving health literacy and self-care, designing a smart referral system, launching national health observatory, changing health data into operational knowledge, managing healthcare supply chain of subsidized medicines using AI, establishing a diagnosis-related groups (DRG) payment system, designing a productive smart hospital, and integrating online insurance processes, IRNA quoted Ali Jafarian, a health ministry official, as saying.

The official made the remarks while addressing an event on the smart e-health system, titled ‘AI in the health sector’.

The official underlined the importance of utilizing AI to increase the speed, precision, and quality of health services, saying that AI can ease the lack of human resources in the health sector, lower diagnostic and treatment errors, and contribute to efficient use of big data. 

He elaborated on a wide range of AI applications in the field of health, such as predicting pandemic outbreaks, preventing health problems using AI wearables, and offering personalized care as personal smart assistants.

Highlighting the wide use of AI in diagnosis and treatment, the official said that in pathology and radiology, AI has sped up and enhanced the accuracy of diagnosis. Also, in the future, AI will personalize treatment plans based on the individual characteristics of patients.

Jafarian also highlighted the potential of AI in improving public health, such as raising public health awareness using self-care AI applications, launching a health observatory to predict disease outbreaks using AI-powered systems, designing a smart referral system, developing smart hospitals, and an efficient insurance system.

Smart healthcare system crucial

In August,  Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence (AI), telemedicine, and mobile health in managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Developing a smart healthcare system and increasing public awareness through preventive education and the promotion of health literacy are the key points in the future of the healthcare system, IRNA quoted Zafarqandi as saying. The adoption of modern technologies is unavoidable, so these tools can be employed to reduce costs and facilitate access to services, he added.

The official made the remarks while addressing the first session of the national committee for the prevention and control of NCD.

People’s health is not limited to medical treatment; health literacy and education play a significant role in improving the health of the society, as well, he noted.

Highlighting the importance of education and self-care, Zafarqandi said that raising public awareness of the primary symptoms of diseases will lead to early detection, which in turn will lower treatment costs and improve the success rate.

The official also stressed the need for the development of national, operational programs that are implementable in each province, as well as holding workshops for the implementation of screening programs for hypertension, diabetes, and blood lipids.

NCDs in Iran account for 82 percent of all deaths. Over the past 20 years, deaths caused by NCDs have risen by 14.5 percent.

Cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health diseases are the five main categories of NCDs.

Early screening of non-communicable diseases and control of risk factors are the two ways to deal with the diseases.

 MT/MG