AI Applications in Health Sector: Use of Artificial Intelligence in Covid-19 Crisis and Impacts of Medical Robots on Global Economy

Abstract

Opinions stating that artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technologies are digital technologies which would have important impacts on the development of humanity in the near future were actually recognized in the world, however, some basic problems about what can be done with such systems, what the systems are required to be perform by themselves and which risks they bear or how these system would be controlled, were being heavily discussed. These discussions generally contained some biases regarding that the era of human control would end with the use of such means. With the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in our present day, it was faced with the problem where the artificial intelligence and robotic technologies have become compulsory due to the fact that the utilization requirements particularly in logistic or health sector have increased. In conclusion, the attention was drawn to the importance of the solutions proposed by the artificial intelligence and robotic technologies pertaining to reduce the risks onto covering the human life and basic needs of people. The aim of this research is to determine the future predictions with findings obtained from the analyses based on the requirement increase for using the robotic Technologies experienced pre and post Covid-19 since an effective pandemic process enough to lead to the ignorance of the problems likely to occur due to the utilization of AI systems is experienced. A comparative historical method is utilization as research method in the study. The utilization of artificial intelligence and robotic technology means in the world between 2009 and 2019, their utilization pre and post Covid-19 and analyses created with estimations for their utilization in the future years are included. Depending on the findings, while the need for the utilization of such Technologies with the impact of Covid-19 is evaluated, it is aimed to determine the impacts in new normal process. According to the results we obtained, it is attempted to determine the requirement of which models among the artificial intelligence and robotic technologies should be utilization in which areas. While societies many countries having different economic powers in the world have been primarily struggling for survival against a too severe epidemic due to Coronavirus epidemic which has started as from the early months of 2020 and spread to many countries, they are facing with slackening and globalizing economic crises due to restrictions. The epidemic was perceived as a problem only experienced in China in the early months since it was actually announced that it started in Wuhan City of China in the late months of 2019. For this reason, some solutions were initiated by other countries and companies for minimizing the risks to be cauterization by recession experienced in China depending on the fact that China is a highly effective country in the global markets. Once a few months later it was understood that a pandemic which affects many countries in the world is experienced, the Covid-19 pandemic has globalized in a very short time with the impact of the inadequacy problem created on health systems of the countries and lack of drug and vaccination to treat the disease. Within the scope of quarantine restrictions applied in the pandemic process, it was seen that the need felt for the utilization of artificial intelligence and robotic Technologies in the health sectors for covering the basic needs of people, notably health services or executing the economically necessary shopping, has increased. Thus, Covid-19 pandemic has facilitated the process of using robotic Technologies and Industrial Revolution 4.0 which has actually started long time ago. Today, it is observed that the artificial intelligence and digitalization have further entered into the life of people in any field ranging from health to education and they are found in the foundation of the process called as new normal. Researches related with this study validate that the utilization of medical robotic technology has significantly increased the safety and quality of health management systems in the Covid-19 process compared with manual systems due to the digitalization of health services. Also, the utilization of robotic technologies provides important conveniences in the health sector. In the first part of this study, introductory information are given about artificial intelligence and robotic Technologies in a descriptive method. In the second part, analyses are performed for the change in utilization levels of robotic Technologies with the impact of Covid-19 by including indicators related with the subject. After the findings obtained from the research and illustrations in the literature are explained, finally the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic are determined. In the digitalization process facilitated with the globalization of pandemic, it is attempted to obtain the most correct provisions and predictions for the future depending on the importance of the utilization of artificial intelligence and robotic technology. According to these classifications, the utilization field ad functions of the medical robots are as follows (Momont 2020). Surgical robots provide surgical service with precision and accuracy compared with human surgeons. Many tele-operators have been designed for remote operations (Grespan et al. 2019). Radiologist robots are utilization in radiology, angio and 3D imaging due to high radiation level and safety problems for human operators (Twin 2020). Rehabilitation robots support the relieving of nerves by alleviating the muscular disorders in treatment of elderly people, disabled and patients under disturbing conditions and in rehabilitation of patients who underwent accident or stroke (Zhao et al. 2020). Tele-medicine robots are helpful in epidemics in distant regions where a remote medical doctor is provided by all information and diagnoses diseases, healthcare personnel is not available (Koceska et al. 2019). Receptionist robots are utilization in hospital reception for guiding the patients. Ambulance robots are helpful in providing urgent treatment to any remote patient as soon as possible. Nurse robots are intended for assistance to medical doctors just as human nurses and commonly utilization particularly in Japanese hospitals. Hospital service robots are utilization in duties such as displacement of heavy materials in hospitals or for distributing foods to patients (Mettler et al. 2017). Cleaning robots are utilization in hospital cleaning Works such as mopping or disinfecting in the hospitals (Prassler et al. 2000). Disinfection robots are utilization for drugs whose contact with human is dangerous in spraying of antiseptic mixtures to wide outdoor areas or wide settlement centers. Food robots are robot chief utilization in hospital kitchen for offering high-quality foods by the hygienic standards (Iqbal et al. 2017). Delivery robots are robots and drones utilization in transport of drugs and blood samples, operating on the ground or air and saving life by making urgent deliveries.

Findings;

• The importance of opportunities provided by the artificial intelligence is increasing depending on the increase of online shopping preferences under the quarantine conditions in Covid-19 process.

• While demand for these technologies has existed since the previous years since some heavy works for human were performed by robots in the logistic sector all over the world, the increases of these utilizations were accepted as natural due to the necessity of using within the scope of contact-free trade in the Covid-19 process.

• As a result of robots are able to fulfill the necessary duties such as lifting heavy and providing consistency while providing cognitive skills of a capable individual, people and robots work on the same duty together.

• While the utilization of robots was started in the previous years in the healthcare sector, Covid-19 has accelerated this process. An increase trend was initiated in the utilization of artificial intelligence and robotic technologies used in diagnosis and treatment stages of Coronavirus contamination.

• During the outbreak, telemedicine even helped provide mental health support. The vision of rolling out systematic, accessible, and comprehensive mental health support for healthcare workers and general public was made possible by many popular online platforms. The 2020s may turn out to be the decade when digital technology reshapes the health system. COVID-19 has certainly driven many developments in the first three months of 2020, as the digital health community continues to navigate how best to bolster classic public health measures (WHO 2021).

• Telemedicine is being adopted for triage and treatment of outpatient, enabling protection for patients and medical practitioners to reduce exposure risk from unnecessary exposure. Telemedicine and virtual care can be integrated into the healthcare system as an approach to maximize the efficiency of healthcare delivery. It promotes social distancing measure and help medical centers in managing prolonged waiting times and risk of disease progression. By minimizing in-person visits and reducing face-to-face contact among physicians and patients, the use of virtual care solutions can help lessen the transmission of the virus and protect medical practitioners from infection (Bokolo 2020).

Last of all; In this study, it is attempted to determine the changing utilization preferences due to Covid-19 pandemic about the impacts of the artificial intelligence and robotic technologies. For this purpose, the artificial intelligence and robotic technologies were defined and short historical development, types, classifications and utilization areas were described. Then, the analyses of the developments intended for transition of only industrial robots and medical robots into the daily life were performed since types of smart and moving robots but different from people, that is, these devices designed for living and cooperating with people are numerous. At this point, it was targeted to determine the risk or challenges to be created by their utilization in the process of Covid-19 pandemic prevailing effectively in our present day. After all, robots are being used in any field that comes to our mind, for example, they take inventory in businesses or clean floors in stores. They rack up the goods to be sold or bring for being sent to warehouses. They cut vegetables, fruits and even they pick fruits. On the other hand, they assist in the care of autistic children or help paralyzed people to re-use their limb. They serve as patrol at national boundaries or attack to targets they see as enemies in case of war. On one hand, they organize flowers or support people in their personal services. In short, their utilization has started in any field of life with their features of helping from different point of views, however, the issue asking that which fields they can be more helpful in such a fatal pandemic process exercising control over the whole world, has really gained great importance. The meaning of the artificial intelligence and robot support has altered in such an environment where boundaries among all countries in the world were closed, people have to maintain their daily life under quarantine conditions, there is no therapeutic drug apart from mask, disinfectant and mask solutions, it is fighting against Coronavirus diseases for which there is no vaccination. For this purpose, indicators where utilization and sales of industrial robots in the pre-Covid-19 process were examined or utilization of logistic robots and medical robots in the pre and post Covid-19 process was examined, are included. A comparison between the impacts of Covid-19 and utilization of artificial intelligence and robotic technology was performed, findings obtained were explained and also, opinions obtained from the analyses performed in the related literature were included. As a result of analyses based on definitions made by descriptive method, their utilizations by years and impacts of Covid-19; it is understood that “The utilization of artificial intelligence and robotic technologies has been already preferred, but, this preference demand has showed increase compulsorily with the impact of Covid-19”. Since any work is acknowledged as dangerous for people, the demand for mechanical changes has quickly increased. In conclusion, this pandemic has been useful mostly for workers; industrial and medical robots. However, a problem stating that medical robots will substitute the healthcare professions or healthcare professional army will be required to be diminished in professional sense, is never observed. On contrary, it is clearly understood that the utilization of artificial intelligence and robotic technologies will be the most important support factor in terms of both those working in health profession and those being under the risk of contamination in such an important subject for the human life like pandemic.