Doctors are burning out from rising workloads and admin duties. Here are five medical AI tools already supporting healthcare professionals in clinics, hospitals, and even emergency rooms.
From reviewing patients in clinics and at their bedside, to documenting every detail in their medical notes, doctors often could barely squeeze in a full lunch.
Today, doctors are juggling more responsibilities than ever – patient care, documentation, scheduling, and making crucial clinical decisions. They are also burning out faster than ever. But what if help could step in to relieve their workload in the form of artificial intelligence (AI)?
Today’s medical AI tools are no longer futuristic fantasies. Many are already working quietly in clinics and hospitals, lightening the load for healthcare professionals. Let us explore how they are doing that.
AI Scribes
AI medical scribes are digital assistants that help doctors draft clinical notes in real time during consultations. Using natural language processing (NLP), these AI tools can ‘listen’ to conversations and automatically transcribe them.
How they can help:
- Reduce the time spent from manual charting and documentation.
- Allow doctors to be fully engaged with their patients during consultations.
- Improve consistency in transcribing clinical notes.
Examples:
AI Concierge Agents
Think concierge tools as virtual receptionists. They are designed to help manage administrative and non-clinical tasks. This can reduce workload for both doctors and staff, improving efficiency.
How they can help:
- Automatically schedule appointments for patients.
- Send timely reminders to patients for follow-up visits, tests and vaccinations.
- Provide instant responses to patient queries (eg: clinic opening hours, medication instructions).
Examples:
- AI chatbots on healthcare websites
Diagnostic Imaging AI
Reading and interpreting X-rays, CT scans and MRIs is time-consuming and requires high precision to prevent misdiagnosis. AI imaging tools can assist radiologists and doctors to quickly analyse the medical images.
How they can help:
- Provide more precise interpretation of imaging results.
- Detect abnormal results faster.
- Improve diagnostic accuracy.
- Support doctors to make quicker clinical decision.
Examples:
- Chest X-ray AI used in the National Centre for Infectious Disease to screen for tuberculosis.
- Imaging AI used in Woodlands Health Emergency Department to detect bone fractures.
Predictive Health Analytics
These platforms use data to forecast a patient’s risk of complications or deterioration on certain health conditions or medical procedures. Earlier risk identification enables proactive interventions.
How they can help:
- Identify at-risk patients early, even during routine check-ups.
- Provide more personalised treatment plans.
- Allows early detection and interventions to prevent serious outcomes.
Examples:
- CARES-ML (Combined Assessment of Risk Encountered in Surgery-Machine Learning) predicts risk of post-surgical complications.
- Selena+ (Singapore Eye Lesion Analyser Plus) analyses retinal scans to detect signs of diabetic eye disease.
- CalSense (Calcium Sensing) flags high blood calcium levels that could suggest an overactive parathyroid gland.
Clinical Copilots
Much like ChatGPT, clinical copilots are designed to support doctors in their clinical decision-making. They can synthesise patient data and clinical guidelines swiftly to assist doctors navigate complex cases better.
How they can help:
- Summarise patients’ key information from records and test results.
- Suggest possible diagnosis based on available data.
- Provide evidence-based insights within seconds to support decision making.
Examples:
Key Takeaways
The pressure on healthcare workers is real. But with AI, there may finally be tools that can relieve some of that weight. Medical AI tools are increasingly becoming a helpful companion in healthcare settings, offering both efficiency and accuracy.
And just like a good scrub nurse or a trusted colleague, these tools aim to help, not override.
The future of healthcare will still need human hands. But they might be steadier, more focused, and far less overwhelmed, thanks to a little help from machines.
External References
- Are AI Chatbots Changing Healthcare for Better or Worse? Medical Channel Asia. Updated: 9 June 2025. https://medicalchannelasia.com/are-ai-chatbots-changing-healthcare-for-better-or-worse/
- Ai To Help Doctors Predict Risk in Next Bound of Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung. The Straits Times. Updated: 17 June 2025. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/ai-to-help-doctors-predict-disease-risk-in-next-bound-of-healthier-sg-ong-ye-kung
- New AI Tool Helps SGH Doctors Predict Risk of Complications After Surgery. The Straits Times. Updated: 21 November 2024. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-ai-tool-helps-sgh-doctors-predict-risk-of-complications-after-surgery
- Development Journey of Singapore Eye Screening AI System Published As Teaching Case for Business Students and Corporates Worldwide. Health Xchange. Updated: 29 November 2023. https://www.healthxchange.sg/news/development-journey-of-singapore-eye-screening-ai-system-published-as-teaching-case-for-business-students-and-corporates-worldwide
- New AI Helps Doctors Spot High Calcium. Medical Channel Asia. Updated: 21 September 2023. https://medicalchannelasia.com/new-ai-helps-doctors-spot-high-calcium/
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