How AI is Changing Respiratory Care

A lot of the buzz around AI these days centers on its ability to take jobs away from humans. Respiratory therapists repeatedly come out ahead in that regard — few if any experts believe AI poses any real threat to hands-on health care clinicians like RTs.

But that doesn’t mean AI won’t reshape the way respiratory care is practiced.

Diverse applications

According to a study published by the Annals of Thoracic Medicine, it’s already happening. In a comprehensive review of the literature, the authors found that:

• AI algorithms have shown promise in enabling tailored treatment plans based on patient-specific data.
• Remote monitoring using AI-powered devices allows for real-time feedback to health care providers, enhancing patient care.
• AI algorithms have demonstrated the ability to detect respiratory conditions at an early stage, leading to timely interventions and improved outcomes.
• AI can optimize mechanical ventilation through continuous monitoring, enhancing patient comfort and reducing complications.
• Collaborative AI systems have the potential to augment the expertise of health care professionals, leading to more accurate diagnoses and effective treatment strategies.

Another literature review published in the Interactive Journal of Medical Research added to the evidence, stating that AI has diverse applications in multiple areas of respiratory care, ranging from pulmonary diagnostics, respiratory care research, critical care or mechanical ventilation, and pulmonary rehabilitation to telehealth, public health or health promotion, sleep clinics, home care, smoking or vaping behavior, and neonates and pediatrics.

The authors of that study called on RTs to lead the way. “The permanent integration of artificial intelligence into respiratory care creates the need for respiratory therapists to positively influence its progression,” they wrote. “By participating in artificial intelligence development, respiratory therapists can augment their clinical capabilities, knowledge, and patient outcomes.”

Clinicians must remain accountable

A study published by Frontiers in Digital Health took a closer look at how AI is impacting specific aspects of the profession. For example, the authors noted that smart inhalers with built-in monitoring devices have the potential to improve medication delivery to patients with asthma and COPD, and digital or electronic stethoscopes are revolutionizing pulmonology by enhancing accuracy and reliability in lung auscultation.

AI advances in interventional pulmonology are also helping clinicians distinguish between lung cancer subtypes in bronchoscopic images, and they have transformed patient management by optimizing ventilator settings and reducing ventilator-induced injuries.

AI is playing a bigger role in RT education too, through simulation platforms that train students and practitioners on new skills.

A paper published in Respiratory Medicine highlighted AI’s ability to provide personalized treatment plans that improve patient outcomes, along with real-time monitoring to enhance patient care and reduce workload. But the investigators emphasized the need to safeguard patient privacy and noted that biases that could impact diagnoses and treatments must be kept out of AI algorithms.

The authors also circled back to the fact that none of this can happen without the human touch.

“AI tools should be used as a tool to enhance the quality of care, rather than a replacement for human judgment,” they wrote. “Clinicians must be trained on how to use AI tools effectively and to interpret the results provided by these tools. This can help ensure that patients receive the best possible care and that clinicians are accountable for the outcomes.”

The bottom line for RTs: AI can and will drive important changes in how respiratory care is delivered. But respiratory therapists and their human colleagues will still be in charge.