This document discusses how artificial intelligence can help improve healthcare delivery in South Africa. It states that AI has the potential to enhance clinical capabilities by enabling predictive analytics, reducing human errors, and freeing up staff capacity. This in turn can help improve patient outcomes, satisfaction, access, and efficiency. However, the document also notes that AI will likely serve as an assisting technology by collaborating with humans rather than replacing healthcare practitioners, due to the need for human judgment, regulatory requirements, and ethical considerations. Some key ways AI can benefit healthcare delivery mentioned are through faster diagnosis, lower error rates, better resource utilization, and providing 24/7 patient access to health information via chatbots. The document emphasizes that strengthening healthcare delivery in South Africa is

1. Improve
Healthcare
Delivery
ThroughtheuseofAI

2. Improve
Healthcare
Delivery
ThroughtheuseofAI

3. Definition of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human
intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like
humans and mimic their actions.
Introduction
The overall goal of AI is to create intelligent machines capable of
assisting humans in solving complex problems.
Programming computers to perform tasks that would
otherwise require human intelligence
Enabling machines to learn from data to improve, often
without being explicitly programmed
Creating algorithms and statistical models that allow
systems to analyze, comprehend, and synthesize
information
Building systems that can rationalize and take actions
that maximize the chance of successfully achieving
predefined goals
Key Elements of AI

4. Adoption of AI
in Healthcare
2021 survey by InterSystems found that
51% of healthcare IT decision-makers in
South Africa said they currently use AI-
powered solutions
Frost & Sullivan states that less than 7%
of healthcare providers in South Africa
have incorporated elements of AI in
diagnostics and treatment
PwC survey, 64% of South
African healthcare
executives reported making
some investments in AI
Only 22% ranked their AI
efforts as very effective.
37% were actively looking
into adding AI capabilities
within two years
Only 12% had no current
plans to implement AI.

5. Diagnostics Support
AI can analyze patient symptoms, medical history, and
test results to provide clinical decision support,
recommend diagnoses, and reduce diagnostic errors.
This allows for earlier intervention.
Workflow Assistance
AI can automate administrative tasks for staff to allow
them to focus on patients. It can also assist with
scheduling, documentation, billing and inventory
management.
Virtual Health Assistants
AI chatbots and voice assistants allow patients to get
personalized medical information and guidance
conveniently via web/mobile apps.
AI can
Improve
Healthcare
Delivery
By enabling predictive analytics, reducing human errors,
and freeing up staff capacity, the application of AI has
immense potential to improve patient outcomes,
satisfaction, equitable access and overall efficiency.

6. Will AI Replace our
Healthcare Practitioners?

7. Human & AI collaboration
Rather than Full Replacement
Human Judgment
Doctors provide experience,
wisdom and nuanced
judgment that AI currently does
not possess at the same level.
Diagnosis and treatment
involves complex contextual
decisions.
AI will not fully replace human healthcare
practitioners in the foreseeable future, but rather
act as an assisting technology
Regulatory
Requirements
Healthcare policies require
human accountability in care
delivery that AI alone cannot
provide currently. This includes
informed consent.
Ethics
There are still open debates
regarding ethics of
independent AI treatment
decisions around topics like
transparency, privacy, and
consent.

8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBGPDli5oGQ
500K+
Free Plan

9. Faster Diagnosis
AI systems can quickly analyze
scans and tests against hundreds
of images and patient records to
provide rapid diagnosis and speed
up intervention.
Lower Error Rates
AI models can reduce the likelihood
of human diagnostic errors through
enhanced pattern recognition. They
continuously learn to improve
accuracy.
Risk Mitigation
AI tools can predict the likelihood of
a patient developing certain
conditions or being readmitted. This
allows implementing preventative
measures proactively.
Better Resource Utilisation
AI analytics helps optimize staff
rotas, inventory stocking, patient
flow based on forecasting models
resulting in cost savings.
Benefits
Using AI
AI chatbots provide 24/7 access to
health information and guidance to
patients leading to more empowerment
in managing conditions.

10. Why Improving Healthcare
Delivery
Is Important in South Africa
Significant Disease Burden
Limited Healthcare Capacity
Economic Impact
South Africa has a high burden of HIV/AIDS, TB, maternal
and child mortality, and an increasing prevalence of
non-communicable diseases. Strengthening
healthcare delivery would better address these health
needs.
Pressures on human resources, facilities, medical
equipment constraint the ability to meet patient
demands. Investments are required to expand
capacity.
The economic costs of morbidity and mortality from
preventable diseases is significant. Improving
healthcare positively impacts workforce participation
and productivity.

11. AI amplifies clinical capabilities, improves
resource allocation, reduces costs, and enhances
patient outcomes - all contributing to next-
generation healthcare delivery.
Investments into various aspects of healthcare
delivery in South Africa are urgent given its
challenges and the vision of providing quality
universal coverage
Conclusion
Strengthening the healthcare system improves
the ability to prevent, detect and respond to
infectious disease outbreaks before they spread
globally.

12. Thank You