How AI could push sleep medicine forward
AI technology could be a game-changer for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, according to a new statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
The statement, published in full in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, was developed by members of the AASM’s Artificial Intelligence in Sleep Medicine Committee.
“When we typically think of AI in sleep medicine, the obvious use case is for the scoring of sleep and associated events,” first author Cathy Goldstein, MD, MS, associate professor of sleep medicine and neurology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said in an AASM news release. “This would streamline the processes of sleep laboratories and free up sleep technologist time for direct patient care.”
According to the position statement, AI has shown the potential to modernize patient care, improve disease prediction, optimize treatments and assist physicians with delivering more accurate diagnoses Goldstein also noted that AI could help researchers learn more about obstructive sleep apnea, helping providers choose “the right treatment for the right patient at the right time.”
However, the AASM warned, AI must be integrated carefully for patients to see these advantages.
“AI tools hold great promise for medicine in general, but there has also been a great deal of hype, exaggerated claims and misinformation,” Goldstein said. “We want to interface with industry in a way that will foster safe and efficacious use of AI software to benefit our patients. These tools can only benefit patients if used with careful oversight.”
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.