SAN ANTONIO – As technology continues to advance, so does artificial intelligence and how it is being used in almost everything we do.
That includes in the medical field.
Dr. Qasim Butt, the Chief Nephrologist for DeLorean AI, explained, “If you’re not starting to use AI in your life or medicine, you’re going to be left behind.”
The company DeLorean AI is looking to combine the benefits of artificial intelligence into the medical field with the hopes of saving lives and better outcomes for patients.
“I’m probably going to see 20-25 patients today. I know that patient at that point in time, but I didn’t know what happened 2 or 3 months ago. AI gives you an eagle eye view of a patient,” said Dr. Butt.
Dr. Butt said currently, DeLorean AI is being used at several dialysis care centers across the country and looking to expand.
The centers help people who are dealing with health issues related to their kidneys.
Dr. Butt also said the tools DeLorean AI offers include a dashboard of analytics looking at a patient’s medical history and it can help to predict future possible health events.
“We’re taking a bunch of data on a patient. We essentially look at the points of data and say something is about to happen here. And here’s some next best actions that you can take,” said Dr. Butt.
Pesh Patel, a patient advocate mentioned, “I think medical AI and what it brings to the table is important.”
Patel is currently a dialysis patient and waiting on a kidney transplant.
His story started back in 2017 while in Australia when he was in major pain.
Patel said that is where he ended up in the ER and an ICU.
“Found out I was only born with one kidney or only 1 kidney developed since birth. And that 1 kidney was only 2% functional. So that’s how I crashed into dialysis,” said Patel.
Patel was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease and eventually got a kidney transplant in 2018.
But years later, his body rejected the kidney.
Now, Patel is waiting for another transplant, while also having regular dialysis treatments.
In dealing with his own journey, Patel is now an advocate for kidney health and said anything that could benefit a patient including AI is a welcomed idea.
Patel said, “If the care team knows that based on history and based on trends, Pesh could potentially be at risk for fluid overload, we need to take this precaution or we need to manage his care in a different route. That is how I think we can save lives.”
Both Patel and Dr. Butt said they understand that some people may be apprehensive about artificial intelligence in medicine.
But, they also believe they should be open to the idea and the potential benefits.
Patel said, “Through my adventure anyways, it’s always been playing catch up. So whatever we can do to mitigate the risks that us patients go through, I believe I am all for. And I know that this is just the beginning.”
Dr. Butt said, “I think we’re on the forefront of more personalized medicine. Instead of just treating you as a regular patient, we really hone in on you as a person.”
For more information about DeLorean AI, click here.
