Our Healthcare System is Sick
Healthcare is overwhelmed by complexity. The essay argues for deploying algorithms now on what kills and costs the most, instead of spending years standardising data.
This article is more than a year old. Some of its findings may have changed since.
Complexity kills and costs, but AI can be the remedy we need
Our healthcare system is sick. It is overwhelmed by complexity in data, workflows, decision-making processes, and more.
The Solution is Within Reach
We could make a difference right now by investing a fraction of the millions we currently waste. By deploying algorithms that can tackle complexity better than any expert Homo Sapiens can, starting with what kills and costs the most.
Instead, we spend years debating how to digitalize and standardize data based on practices that will be outdated by the time it's done.
We focus on algorithmic research that attracts grants rather than solving hospital needs, we let large media outlets spread fear about algorithms based on Tesla crashes and LLM failures, and we ask our fellow citizens to vote on the consequences of all this instead of the root causes.
Gratitude and Action
I am deeply grateful to AI Swiss for facilitating open discussions about the pain points faced by patients and healthcare professionals, and to domo.health and the data science at CHUV | Lausanne university hospital to give me the opportunity to contribute to solving some of the most pressing issues.
Redefining AI
Let's redefine AI together as Algorithmic Impact (instead of Apple Intelligence).
The time for action is now. Healthcare complexity isn't just a technical challenge—it's a human one. Every day we delay deploying effective algorithms is another day patients suffer from preventable complications, healthcare workers burn out from information overload, and resources are wasted on inefficient processes.
The technology exists. The expertise exists. What we need is the courage to move beyond endless debates and pilot projects toward real, scalable solutions that save lives and reduce costs.