Using Herbert Simon’s concept of “bounded rationality,” it is considered highly likely that in complex situations an individual often will pursue a course of action that satisfies the minimal requirements necessary to achieve a particular goal rather than an optimal choice, even when attempting to be rational in decision-making. An article in the June 2019 issue of the journal Nature Human Behavior describes artificial intelligence (AI) as the use of computer algorithms to mimic human cognitive functions, such as learning or problem solving. AI facilitates the analysis of data with a lens that surpasses human capacity through its ability to process data and information, addressing the issue of bounded rationality. AI also is devoid of behavioral limitations, including unsubstantiated deviation from evidence-based guidelines, influence of peers in hierarchical cultural norms, and fatigue.
Antibiotic prescribing, whether appropriate or inappropriate, is a driver of antimicrobial resistance, a complex social and biological challenge that reflects many problems Simon set out when describing the boundary of rationality. It also is an ideal example of when caring for an individual has immediate and far reaching externalities. A decision made to prescribe an antibiotic affects not only the individual patient, but also an individual’s microbiome and society as a whole, through the selection of drug-resistant organisms. Decision-making during infection management is a dynamic and often inconsistent process. The development of AI systems in the field of infection still is in its infancy. Nonetheless, a range of supervised and unsupervised AI tools have been developed, including causal probabilistic networks and support vector machine classifiers. These tools have shown high accuracy in predicting infection and recommending appropriate antibiotic therapy. AI provides the potential to integrate these complex processes and support optimal use of data for evidence-based decision-making.
More Articles from TRENDS June 2019
TENTATIVE V. DEFINING CRITERIA
Indicates how formulations, such as paradigms have the potential to blind advocates of various interventions to the actual worth of whatever is being proposed. Read More
PRESIDENT’S CORNER—ASAHP MEMBER FOCUS
Gwendolyn Mahon from Rutgers University is featured in this issue of TRENDS. Read More
SPENDING LEGISLATION TAKES SHAPE
Describes a bill passed in the House of Representatives to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS). Read More
HEALTH REFORM DEVELOPMENTS
Discusses efforts to meet health challenges in rural areas, savings from Accountable Care Organizations, and a hearty perennial of the Affordable Care Act disputes. Read More
DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Summarizes renewed efforts to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, launch of a Federal Work-Study Experiment, and proposed federal rules affecting accreditation, innovation, and other topics. Read More
QUICK STAT (SHORT, TIMELY, AND TOPICAL)
Prescriptions Filled By Americans in 2018
Dental Care Among Adults Aged 65 Years And Older
3-D Print Flexible Mesh For Knee And Ankle Braces
Using Pig Brains To Understand Human Brain Function Read More
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY
Financial Burden Of Paid Home Care On Older Adults
Faith-Health Collaboration To Improve Community And Population Health
Family Care-Giving Roles In Medical Product Development
2018 National Health Interview Survey Selected Estimates Read More
ASAHP SUMMIT ON ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND CLINICAL PRACTICE
Mentions the 2nd Annual ASAHP Summit co-hosted by Kindred Healthcare and Saint Louis University’s Doisy College of Health Sciences that was conducted on May 31, 2019 at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO. Read More