We encounter artificial intelligence every day in various ways, from voice assistants and travel directions on phones to facial recognition unlocking devices and chatbots that assist us online. Although we know AI can help make our lives more convenient, we may not realize that it can also help keep us healthier.
“AI is revolutionizing infection prevention by offering innovative solutions to address challenges in healthcare settings,” said Bassel Molaeb, healthcare advisor, trainer, and infection
prevention and control (IPC) consultant for The Compass Health Consultancy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Molaeb is an internationally recognized IPC expert who has served as a
consultant for several organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO). Last year, he presented at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
Annual Conference and Exposition, highlighting the latest AI technology for infection prevention.
Intelligent robots to the rescue
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities routinely use ultraviolet (UV) lights to disinfect patient areas. Recent AI technology has enabled these disinfecting lights to program themselves.
“These AI-driven devices are positioned in the corner of a room,” Molaeb said. “They map the movement of people and monitor high-touch areas. Once the room becomes vacant, UV beams
target the bioburden in the room.”
Molaeb said these AI-controlled disinfecting lights are very effective at removing pathogens in surgical and procedure rooms along with high-traffic areas. “It’s a very promising technology in
areas where there is a high turnover of patients,” he said. “It solves the problem of frequently relocating and setting up the device.”
Additional UV disinfecting light technology includes advanced sensors that target and eliminate pathogens through focused UV radiation, helping to reduce the rate of healthcare-acquired
infections (HAIs). Autonomous disinfection robots equipped with these sensors can enter a room and position themselves in a prime location that considers the room’s dimensions.
“The technology allows the UV rays to access areas that are hidden or in the shadows and decreases human error in programming the lights,” Molaeb said. In addition to emitting disinfecting UV rays, AI-driven robots can monitor indoor air quality and automate disinfection. Intelligent robots also can be programmed to clean and sterilize medical instruments, for example, automatically cleaning and packaging dental tools.
“Unlike manual cleaning, these robots can access hard-to-reach areas, apply optimal cleaning techniques, and monitor disinfection levels to ensure compliance with hygiene standards,” Molaeb said. “This automated technology frees up workers to do other tasks, and it ensures high levels of environmental cleanliness critical for preventing HAIs.”
A helping hand for staff training
In addition to streamlining cleaning and disinfection tasks, Molaeb said AI is transforming healthcare worker training by developing interactive, adaptive modules and simulations tailored to infection prevention. Interactive training frequently focuses on hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and aseptic techniques.
For instance, an AI-driven app on mobile devices walks healthcare workers step-by-step through proper hand hygiene techniques. AI can track individual performance, provide personalized feedback, and highlight areas for improvement.
“You can watch an animated demonstration on applying hand sanitizer, then practice the technique, rubbing it into your hands,” Molaeb said. “The AI module will tell you if you are doing it the correct way. You can repeat the hand hygiene process again and again until you have it right.”
The same AI technology interacts with users on other infection prevention practices, such as donning and doffing PPE, including gloves and gowns, and properly closing the seal on a respirator.
“The application can be uploaded on a tablet and placed in a unit, where it is available for workers to log in 24/7,” Molaeb said. “They can revisit the training as needed, and the app will
remind them to repeat the training every three months. Each time, they will have to perform the task in the proper order. With this technology, they build up the habit; it makes them do it the
right way every time.”
After completing their training, workers can confirm their compliance through AI sensor technology. For example, after using hand sanitizer, they can place their hands in front of a screen on a computer or another apparatus, and it will scan their hands and provide them with a visual guide showing the areas they missed with the sanitizer.
Leave the surveillance to AI
Like many workers, healthcare staff can become bogged down with background responsibilities that distract them from the hands-on tasks they prefer. Infection prevention involves analyzing data to find infection patterns and predict outbreaks.
“Surveillance takes up a bulk of time,” Molaeb said. “Imagine if you had a tool that would help you with that surveillance and come up with a plan to integrate into your infection prevention practices.”
AI is such a tool, Molaeb said, explaining that it can collect or generate data from multiple sources, such as electronic health records, laboratory results, and environmental monitoring systems.
It then analyzes this data to identify patterns and risk factors associated with HAIs.
“Instead of the infection preventionist sparing the time to check lab results, AI collects it for them,” Molaeb said. “By integrating patient data, environmental conditions, and clinical variables,
AI can forecast the likelihood of infections, enabling proactive measures. For example, it can predict when and where infections like surgical-site infections or multidrug-resistant organisms
might occur based on patient risk factors, environmental conditions, and other variables. This information allows healthcare teams to allocate resources effectively and intervene early
to prevent outbreaks.”
In addition to predication, AI-collected data brings other benefits to healthcare systems, Molaeb said, listing reduced costs, shortened hospital stays, and enhanced patient experiences.
No substitute for the human touch
Healthcare facilities that integrate AI into their infection prevention strategies can enhance predictive capabilities, automate essential processes, and improve workforce competency, ultimately reducing HAIs and improving patient outcomes.
Despite all the benefits of AI, Molaeb stressed that its primary purpose is to serve infection preventionists and environmental services staff, giving them the knowledge to follow infection
prevention protocols more efficiently and the time to tend to the needs of the patients and healthcare facility.
“AI is a tool to augment human expertise rather than replace it,” he said.
