There’s been a flurry of activity in the world of AI in health and social care over the last couple of years. A quick search of google came up with 109,000,000 results. And so, if you, like most of us, are pretty new to all of this, it’s a complex landscape to navigate.
My focus is on some of the key reports and consultations coming from government and think tanks. Together they provide insight into where we are on this in the UK. Above all, it’s clear that there are a lot more conversations needing to take place. And these conversations need to be held in the round – with the pubic, patients, service users, carers, business, technologists, policy makers, and government.
And do let me know if there’s anything I’ve missed. I’ve very much focused on reports from the last couple of years and will update when new reports come out.
And if you’re interested in a general introduction to AI, have a look at ‘The ethical challenges of AI: 5 Podcasts worth listening to‘.
Think tanks and Research Councils
A great primer on AI in healthcare…
A short brief covering:
- What is AI
- Recent interest in AI
- Applications in healthcare and research
- Limits of AI
- Ethical and social issues
- Challenges for governance
- The future of AI
What AI in healthcare might look like…
Confronting Dr Robot – Creating a people-powered future for AI in health, NESTA (May 2018)
The goal of this report is to:
- Explore how AI might be used in the UK, or a similar health system.
- Explore how AI-enabled healthcare might look and feel, especially from the point of view of the citizen.
- To suggest what can be done to maximise benefits and minimise harm.
The focus is on the uses of AI that have the clearest route to adoption, potential to solve real problems, and strong impact on the experience of care.
On the ethical challenges…
In this review, the authors undertake a detailed review of existing literature, as well as interviewing experts, to understand how AI is being used in healthcare, how it could be used in the near future, and what ethical, social, and political challenges these current and prospective uses present. They have also sought the views of patients, their representatives, and members of the public.
A number of key themes emerge from the research including the issue of consent, that of fairness and the related concept of rights. They propose that research going forward is multidisciplinary, drawing on the expertise of those who develop AI tools, those who will use and be impacted by these tools, and those who have knowledge and experience of addressing other major ethical, social, and political challenges in health. It is vital that the voices of patients and their relatives are heard, and that their needs are kept in mind at all stages of such research.
Connecting the dots in the care landscape…
This paper discusses the emerging crisis in UK social care the presents a vision for creating a connected care ecosystem linking home, residential, and hospital care. It includes discussion of the key research challenges and opportunities for the future use of robotics and autonomous systems. This includes that the associated ethical and societal issues – for researchers, policy-makers and all social care stakeholders to work together.
Change and the digital landscape in health and social care…
Digital Change in Health and Social Care, The King’s Fund (June 2018)
The focus of this report is on digital change. While the report does not consider AI and its application to health and social care settings, I consider it as important for understanding some of the issues and opportunities for change. This may in the future have wider applicability to understanding how organisations can successfully undertake change, both in terms of how organisations work, and clinical change contexts.
Planning for the future…
Better Health and Care for All: A 10-point plan for the 2020s – The final report of the Lord Darzi Review of Health and Care, IPPR (June 2018)This report from Lord Darzi and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) addresses some bold questions about health and care over the coming years. It aims to address questions including: how we do make sure every patients gets high-quality care when they need it? And how will we keep up with advances in technology, therapies and treatments?
It is worth noting Recommendation 2 –
‘Tilt towards tech’ to create a digital first health and care system. This means investing in the digital infrastructure the NHS needs, enabling data sharing across the health and care system and embracing ‘full automation’ to release more time to care.
This release of more time to care is estimated to be a potential productivity improvement valued at £12.5 billion a year. This is equivalent to 9.9 per cent of the NHS budget in England.
On making AI work in the NHS…
Thinking on its own: AI in the NHS, Reform (January 2018)
This report illustrates the areas where artificial intelligence (AI) could help the NHS become more efficient and deliver better outcomes for patients. It also highlights the main barriers to the implementation of this technology and suggests some potential solutions.
Parliament, government, non-departmental public bodies
Preparing the workforce for the future…
The Topol Review – Preparing the healthcare workforce for the digital future [Interim Report] (June 2018)The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care commissioned this report. It sets out to address the following questions:
- How are technological (genomics, digital medicine, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics) and other developments likely to change the roles and functions of clinical staff and their support in all professions over the next two decades?
- What are the implications of these changes for the skills required? For which professions or sub-specialisms are these likely to be particularly significant?
- What does this mean for the selection, curricula, education, training, development and lifelong learning of current and future NHS staff?
Includes an Open Call for Evidence.
And in Parliament…the House of Lords Select Committee
AI in the UK: Ready, willing and able? House of Lords Select Committee on AI (April 2018)
The report includes a number of recommendations specific to health. There’s a recognition that given the impressive advances in AI in health, the Select Committee considers health as a case study. And they recommend the following:
- That given the importance of public trust in the use of personal health data, that the data held by the NHS should be considered a unique source of value for the nation;
- The development of a framework for data sharing to be developed by NHS England and the National Data Guardian of Health and Care; and,
- To release the value of the data held, they urge the NHS to digitise its current practices and records in consistent formats.
In producing the report, the Select Committee used oral and written evidence which is publicly available on their website and is well worth having a look through.
And recently I had the opportunity to hear from Lord Clement-Jones, the Committee Chair. And the key question: Do we need a Magna Carta for the Age of AI?
…the Government response…
In this report, government responds to the Select Committee Report. And they note the following:
- on the use of personal health data, government is working to ensure the appropriate regulatory framework is in place that protects patients and is flexible enough to take into account the innovative nature of these products;
- that work has begun on developing a clear proposition on how the UK can accrue value from granting access to patient data for research and innovation purposes and patient and public benefit;
- government will continue to work with the relevant bodies to ensure that the appropriate regulatory frameworks, codes of conduct, and guidance, are available; and,
- work is beginning on data interoperability (i.e. ensuring data can be shared between providers and across care settings).
And worth a mention…
I can’t end this post without mentioning the Government’s Industrial Strategy. As part of it, they establish four Grand Challenges. Two are relevant here: AI where the ambition is to put the UK at the forefront of the AI and data revolution; and distinct from this, on addressing the ageing society by harnessing the power of innovation to help meet the needs. It will be fascinating to see if, in the projects taken forward, there is cross-over between the two.
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