By JESSICA DAMASSA, WTF HEALTH

Everyone seems to be amazed by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in healthcare, but Enrico Coiera, Professor of Medical Informatics at Macquarie University, is not impressed — yet. Instead of designing algorithms, he advocates for designing “human-machine systems” that work with the best parts of the health system, the people. An interesting anecdote about how AI can go wrong? Diagnoses of thyroid cancer in South Korea have increased 15 times, but not because of a higher prevalence of the disease…it’s because of more sensitive AI diagnostics that are over-diagnosing people and rendering many with chemo and other treatments they don’t need. So, what should technologists do to ensure that tech doesn’t fail patient outcomes? Enrico gives his best advice for a healthcare industry that’s “in love with technology and can’t often see the simple solution for the sexy tech one.”

Filmed in the HISA Studio at HIC 2019 in Melbourne, Australia, August 2019.

Jessica DaMassa is the host of the WTF Health show & stars in Health in 2 Point 00 with Matthew Holt. Get a glimpse of the future of healthcare by meeting the people who are going to change it. Find more WTF Health interviews here or check out www.wtf.health.