Manama: The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Europe issued a report warning about the accelerating use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare: but basic legal safety nets that protect patients and health workers are lacking.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the report showed that awareness remains uneven and fragmented, with only 4 countries in the European region having a national strategy dedicated to artificial intelligence in health, and another 7 countries working on developing one, out of a total of 50 countries covered by the report in the European region.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe warned that AI is already a reality for millions of health workers and patients across the European Region. He added, "But without clear strategies, data privacy, legal guardrails and investment in AI literacy, we risk deepening inequities rather than reducing them."
Dr. Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of Health Systems, WHO/Europe also warned that AI will be used to improve people's health and well-being, reduce the burden on our exhausted health workers and bring down health-care costs, or it could undermine patient safety, compromise privacy and entrench inequalities in care.
According to the report, across the region, regulations are struggling to keep pace with technology, with nearly 9 out of 10 countries saying legal uncertainty is the primary barrier to AI adoption.
Eight out of 10 countries cite financial constraints as a major obstacle. Meanwhile, less than 1 in 10 countries have liability standards for AI in health, which determine who is responsible if an AI system makes an error or causes harm.