Europe Needs to Catch Up with the AI Surge in Hospitals, WHO Says
AI Transforming Healthcare, Yet Governance Lags
Poinews.com – Artificial intelligence is reshaping medical practices, offering potential solutions to the growing strain on healthcare professionals. Across Europe, AI applications are enhancing diagnostic accuracy and streamlining operational processes, but the region trails behind in establishing regulatory frameworks to manage these technologies.
“The disparity between AI implementation and governance represents the main hurdle in healthcare today,” stated Hans Henri P. Kluge, head of WHO Europe, during a press event in Lisbon on July 15.
Without clear guidelines, the risks of AI in healthcare grow. Kluge highlighted that a lack of oversight could lead to critical errors, such as incorrect diagnoses from biased algorithms, impacting real patients with tangible outcomes.
Current AI Adoption and Gaps in Strategy
More than half of the 53 nations in the WHO Europe region have integrated AI diagnostics into their systems, while nearly as many employ chatbots to assist patients. However, only a small fraction—roughly one out of twelve—have formal plans to govern AI usage.
Of these, just 8% have developed targeted health strategies for AI, and almost 40% lack ethical standards for its application. Educational efforts are also limited, with only 20% of countries teaching AI to medical students and 25% providing training for professionals already in the field.
“This lack of preparedness raises concerns about the long-term effects on patient care and trust in healthcare institutions,” Kluge emphasized.
As AI continues to expand in medical settings, the organization plans to release a comprehensive roadmap in 2028 to address these challenges and ensure sustainable integration of the technology across the continent.
