Cedars-Sinai

Nicole Beyrouthy

As healthcare professionals, we have always relied on our clinical intuition in addition to evidence- base practice to guide us in making critical decisions for our patients. Our ability to recognize patterns, subtle cues, and unspoken needs has been a cornerstone of our practice, leading to better outcomes and more personalized care. However, as we step into a rapidly evolving and heightened healthcare demand, it is crucial that our instincts as caregivers be bolstered by the computational prowess of AI algorithms leading to a revolutionary advancement in patient care, diagnosis, and treatment.

According to research, the human brain's function is to predict reality. Jeff Hawkins and his team discovered that the brain uses map-like structures to build a model of the world— not just one model, but hundreds of thousands of models of everything we know. In the clinical world, patients may not always express their fears, doubts, or underlying concerns verbally. Clinical intuition allows healthcare professionals to pick up on subtle nonverbal cues, helping them to predict unspoken needs effectively. This intuitive understanding often leads to the early detection of illnesses, enabling timely intervention and improving patient outcomes. Moreover, in situations where evidence-based guidelines may not offer clear solutions, clinical intuition can serve as a compass, guiding healthcare professionals through the complexity of patient care. It helps in navigating the delicate balance between treatments, risks, and patient preferences.

While AI and predictive models provide valuable insights, clinical intuition complements these technological advancements by incorporating a human touch. It humanizes the patient experience, making healthcare interactions more compassionate and understanding.

Whilst intuition thrives in one-on-one patient care due to the deep connection and knowledge of the patient, it can become less effective in high-demand settings for several reasons. In high-demand environments, caregivers might care for multiple patients at the same time or might not have the opportunity to care for the same patient consistently, resulting in reduced continuity of care and potentially affecting the development of strong intuitive decision-making. Furthermore, healthcare providers face daily an overwhelming amount of information to process and rapid decision-making requirements. This cognitive overload can be emotionally and physically draining, which results in hindering the clarity of thought needed for effective intuition.

The benefits of AI predictive models are invaluable in assisting care providers in delivering better patient care, especially in high-demand environments where time is limited and the workload is overwhelming. AI predictive models can analyze vast amounts of patient data, including vital signs, lab results, and medical history, to identify early warning signs of deteriorating health. By flagging high-risk patients, care providers can intervene proactively and prioritize their attention, potentially preventing adverse events.

To assist with the cognitive load in a high-demand environment, my team is currently developing an early warning predictive model of patients’ deterioration on wards where the ratio of patients to caregivers is low. The model analyzes various clinical patient data points, such as vital signs, lab results, and medical history, to predict the likelihood of a patient's health declining or their condition worsening. The primary goal of this predictive model is to enable healthcare providers to intervene proactively and provide timely and appropriate care, ultimately improving patient outcomes, reducing adverse events, and reducing healthcare costs.

While some might fear that the rise of AI will overshadow our human touch, we firmly believe that it is in collaboration, not competition, that the true power lies. Clinical intuition, honed by years of experience and empathy, coupled with AI's ability to process vast amounts of data, and recognize patterns invisible to the human eye, create a formidable force in the pursuit of better healthcare outcomes.