When technology innovates, the healthcare industry gets a chance to reinvent itself. Yet there is something striking about technological advances: technology alone doesn't change anything. It is the people behind that technology that make the difference. For example, the Dutch AI Coalition (NL AIC) is pushing for talent development that includes free AI courses. The National AI Course for Healthcare is part of this, and developed on the initiative of the NL AIC. This course aims to prepare and skill students and professionals to use AI in their work field. After all, well-informed people are the beginning of improved care.
A revolutionary tool or a new task?
AI has the potential to alleviate complex issues, accelerate diagnoses, and take personalized care to a new level. But what if this technology arrives in an industry that is not ready for it? Then an opportunity turns into a worrisome challenge. Introducing AI into healthcare in an impactful and responsible way requires healthcare professionals who know what they're talking about. And that knowledge and expertise sometimes begins during college.
Marcel Haas, assistant professor at LUMC, emphasizes the importance of AI in medical education: "Medicine students need to understand how to use AI in their daily practice, how to assess risks and benefits, and how to evaluate technology." He and others shaped the curriculum to introduce students to the opportunities and challenges of AI in healthcare. In doing so, they used the National AI Course.
AI is now a regular part of the medical student curriculum at LUMC, helping healthcare professionals play an active role in the AI future. Because AI applications can be impressive, but without the right people driving these technologies, they are worth little.
Marieke van Buchem, innovation manager for AI at LUMC, adds, "During the development of the new curriculum for the bachelor's degree, careful thought was given to what the doctor of the future must be able to do and know. What emerged was that technology is an indispensable element in how care is delivered and that this is only going to increase. By the way, this was thought up entirely without our influence by the medical school itself! Are we very happy about that."
Students embracing AI from day one
Whereas AI is new territory for many established healthcare professionals, it seems almost natural for a new generation of healthcare students. For them, digitization and automation are not an abstraction, but part of their study material. Students at LUMC looked back positively on taking the National AI course:
- "It really made me realize the importance of AI and technology in healthcare. I also found the speakers very entertaining and often interesting to talk about."
- "It's good to get an understanding of the technological opportunities that are going to be out there and have a basic understanding of technology."
- "It's a really good initiative to learn about healthcare in the future and I really think it's important for doctors to know about this!"
This hands-on experience gives students a unique opportunity early in their education to work with technologies that will fundamentally change their field of work. The courses give them a step ahead of traditional knowledge and an edge beyond technical know-how.
A cultural shift within society
The rise of AI is not just about technological advances; it also asks us to think fundamentally about the values and ethics that guide our choices. Introducing AI into healthcare, for example, poses questions such as: how do we ensure that AI is applied in a responsible, transparent way? What does it mean to put technology at the service of humans, rather than the other way around? These issues are addressed extensively within the NL AIC's working groups. Such is the case in the Human Captial working group. The leadership of this working group strives not only to provide AI training, but also to foster a culture of continuous learning and critical thinking.
The "Lifelong Development" initiative of the same working group embodies this ambition by giving professionals in all sectors tools to not just understand AI, but use it as a tool for positive impact. This program goes beyond superficial knowledge sharing. It helps students and professionals critically reflect on the ethical use of technology and gives them skills to apply AI within their own pursuits.
The driving force behind care
AI education is not just about training people for today; it focuses on creating leaders who balance care and technology. AI is changing healthcare, but the true catalysts of change remain people who understand AI, reflect critically on it, and know when to apply it and when not to. Also, humans are almost always the target of new technologies, so keeping a human aspect is of great value.
So with technology constantly evolving, we as people cannot be left behind. As long as people develop and stay involved, we can take advantage of new and responsible opportunities in healthcare.
Want to talk to or collaborate with people working on AI innovations within healthcare? Then contact the Health and Care Working Group.
