Once upon a time, in a kingdom not too far away, there was a doctor who always asked his patients to show their tongues. Today, that same request could come from your smartphone. Welcome to the future of medical screening, where AI inspired by age-old habits can determine your health with an accuracy that even the most experienced doctors could do. Now, before you “click” your tongue, read here.
A mix of old and new
An international team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence algorithm that promises to revolutionize the way we do medical screening (you can find the survey here). This innovation is based on a 2,000-year-old practice of traditional Chinese medicine: language analysis.
Ali Al-Najiassociate professor at the Central Technical University of Baghdad and the University of South Australia, explains:
The color, shape and thickness of the tongue can indicate a number of health conditions.
The proposed system automates this ancient medical practice of linguistic diagnosis with the help of modern machine learning. The researchers powered the algorithm with over 5,200 language illustrations (a little, personal opinion) and the corresponding diagnoses, using six different machine learning algorithms.
The result? Amazing accuracy in diagnosing health conditions based on tongue color alone.
Accuracy of head spin. Or rather, the language
In an experiment with 60 images of languages from teaching hospitals in the Middle East, the AI was able to correctly detect each patient’s position 98% of the time. Conditions ranged from gastrointestinal issues to COVID-19.
Even the most accurate system, called procedure naive Bayesshowed an accuracy rate above 91%. The open source framework XGB increase he arrived an amazing accuracy of 98.71%.
The ultimate goal of this research team is to bring this technology directly into the hands of consumers. Perhaps a smartphone app will be created that uses this algorithm, allowing people to get a predictive diagnosis from the comfort of their own home.
Implications for future medical screening
This innovation opens up interesting possibilities for the future of medical screening:
- Accessibility: Could it make basic screening more accessible in areas with limited medical resources?
- Prevention: Could it encourage more frequent checks, leading to earlier diagnosis?
- The doctor’s workload: How could it affect the role of doctors in primary diagnosis?
And of course, there are just as many unknowns to consider:
- Data protection: How will sensitive health information be handled and protected?
- Overdiagnosis: There is a risk of causing unnecessary anxiety (sort ofdoomscrolling”health care) through false positives?
- Technological Addiction: Could it lead to a decline in traditional judgment skills?
Even with all its potential, we must be careful in implementing this technology. Medical diagnosis is a complex process that often requires more than one diagnosis.
Is the future of screening a chorus of digital “ahhhs”?
The idea of screening with tongue selfies may seem strange, but this technology has the potential to democratize access to primary care medical screening, especially in areas with limited resources.
The future of medical screening may be closer than we think, and it could start with a simple “cheese” to our smartphone. But remember: even if AI can read your language, it’s always better to consult a real doctor for a complete diagnosis. After all, no algorithm can replace the knowledge and intuition of a medical professional… at least for now.
2024-08-17 12:14:14
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