Ten artificial intelligence innovations disrupting healthcare... close to home

Abstract

The past year brought the world on its knees, yet it also ushered to the door several essential healthcare innovations. Telehealth and remote care became more widely available due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The strain on our health system meant that the most forward- looking medical institutions had to evolve new capabilities such as voice assistants capable of servicing hundreds of calls, over and above their usual complement. To speed up processing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) blossomed in various healthcare applications, with big data taking on a significant role in the field of predictive analytics. These innovations are all rather impressive, and there are many more in the pipeline. However, most of them emerge from the top research centres located worldwide, such as the Mayo Clinic or some small start-ups tucked secretly in Silicon Valley. The truth is that many of them take a long time to become commercially viable, and it might be years before we start reaping their benefits. However, not all the innovation is happening on the other side of the world, and this article will highlight a few projects happening in our backyard. These are all currently being conducted by researchers at the University of Malta in collaboration with other entities such as Mater Dei Hospital. Their innovative aspect is at par with other projects happening abroad. The researchers do miracles with the meagre funds they receive, many of which stem from the University but also through national, European or even private funding. However, the thing they have in common is that very few people know about them, and for most of the time, the lack of subsequent financing kills the project. The following is a selection of such projects.