Abstract

The recent past has witnessed a paradigm shift with the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) within a variety of healthcare services. This transition of incorporating AI has brought about multiple favours for enhancing current services and a lot of promising results in the primary care setup of Pakistan. Primary care has diverse and sophisticated provisions hence the challenges are complicated too. The authors examine the existing practices as well as future options for incorporating AI in primary care in Pakistan.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), primary care, integration, Pakistan.

INTRODUCTION

Primary care is a fundamental component of healthcare systems globally [1], performing as the initial point of contact for patients in need of medical care.

Struggling with a rapidly growing population and inadequate healthcare facilities, Pakistan requires a fast, effective, and easily accessible primary care system. We see huge potential in AI-led technology’s integration within our existing healthcare system because the rapid evolution and progress of AI has already emerged and shown promising results worldwide.

Contemporary Approaches in AI-Enhanced Primary

Care

Globally, comprehensive proposals to improve primary care have been experimented with to address the challenges posed by a swift increase in the population in need of medical care and rising costs [2]. Similarly, Pakistan in its pursuit of handling impending challenges started to revolutionise healthcare with the help of AI [3]. We have already witnessed that AI has demonstrated its efficiency in various sectors of primary care in Pakistan, and among many a few examples are presented in the subsequent section.

Telemedicine has benefited through AI, where geographical distances are closed with the provision of health services granted to remote areas. Mobile phone applications, e.g., virtual health assistants are aiding many patients with chronic diseases to self- monitor and manage their states of health. Likewise, AI systems using patient data are predicting management outcomes, and disease progression, and granting customised treatment plans for a very large number of

patients in need [4]. Diagnostic radiology is also an area that has been greatly augmented in terms of notable advancements where AI assists in imaging services analyses and helps in the early detection of diseases [5]. Moreover, predictive analytics technologies are aiding healthcare providers in identifying individuals with a heightened likelihood of developing specific ailments and facilitating preventive interventions and tailored care regimens [6]. AI integration in patient records is enhancing the outcomes of electronic record services in primary care and supports reducing staff’s time spent on patient-centered care [7]. These service advancements not only improve the ease of access but also heighten the effectiveness of delivering primary care support.

Challenges and Considerations

While AI integration in primary care proposes substantial opportunities, it is not barren of barriers. Probably the most central is the threat of the digital divide especially in the primary care setups in the rural areas where the provision of technology is scarce. The lack of a technology-skilled workforce is another challenge conducive to the inaccessibility of quality care facilities especially where there is a disproportion in access to healthcare between urban and rural areas [8]. It is thus imperative to make efforts to attain a steady allocation of AI-powere primary care solutions across all regions of Pakistan. Safeguarding data privacy is very important when incorporating AI into the primary care healthcare system because the protection of patient data and complying with privacy laws enlisted in the country’s legislation are crucial elements to be taken care of. This shall enhance the trust of the public in newly emerging and ever-evolving AI technologies. Likewise, the ethica ramifications of AI in primary care necessitate detailed planning across all sectors [9]. With the ever-growing AI-based systems it is imperative to address concerns like technology bias for decision-making, thus a balance between such revolutionary advancement and ethica

principles is inevitable for the acceptable assimilation of artificial intelligence in primary care setup. A possible way to achieve this is a sincere and dedicated teamwork of healthcare institutions, technology companies, and Pakistan’s health regulatory agencies to create a reliably safe system for managing and utilizing patients’ data.

Future Directions

AI promises multiple prospects in primary healthcare in the context of Pakistan. Dealing with the challenge of a lack of skilled workforce can be addressed by investing in comprehensive education and training programs. This could involve partnerships between educational institutions, government agencies, and private sector organizations to design targeted training initiatives, apprenticeships, and retraining programs to meet the demands of the AI technology sector. Another potential area requiring in-depth exploration is an AI-assisted decision support system. This shall offer healthcare providers speedy and key information necessary for making clinical decisions and improving the accuracy of diagnoses. AI systems can also enhance their performance as time progresses by consistently acquiring knowledge from patient data. This feature is also pertinent as the use of updated and evidence-based medicine is crucial for reliable and valid healthcare services under the umbrella of primary care.

Another important opening for AI integration is preventive care because prognostic analytics assists AI systems in identifying patients vulnerable to ailment. Such timely predictions lead to the provision of timely, focused, and accurate preventive measures to reduce the burden of illness. Employing this proactive approach can ease the strain on the healthcare system by arresting the expansion of several illnesses thus heightening the overall health of the public being taken care of under the domain of primary care.

CONCLUSION

As we discuss the future of primary care in Pakistan, AI’s potential role to completely transform healthcare delivery must also be explored. In Pakistan, a country with a varied population, our current healthcare system and all stakeholders (patients, professionals as care

providers, AI experts, and policymakers) must handle barriers and maintain ethical principles to promote AI-technology-related diversity to attain inevitable advancement in the primary care sector. We believe that the roadmap concerning a future in healthcare that is assured, promised, and enhanced by AI is not without obstacles, but the end goal grasps the potential for a setting that is compliant, quick to act in response, and attentive to the needs of patients.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

None.

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