Anne van Dalen

A review on the current applications of artificial intelligence in the operating room I 229 8 it requires confirmation of its clinical utility by undergoing thorough research. In their article, they therefore described and reviewed essential methods on the design of such studies, like the importance of using an adequate external dataset, crucial to the clinical evaluation of AI in medicine. 53 Second, the applications of AI discussed in this study are, although interesting in their pilot effort, not ready for large-scale clinical practice. 54 AI is not yet able to detect causal relationships in data at a necessary level for clinical implementation to rely on, nor is it able to produce truly automated interpretations of its analyses. 54 Before these implications can be clinically and safely applied in the OR on a bigger scale, future studies should focus on clinical studies, with data from actual patients. 39 Conclusion AI systems inside the OR, if well-designed, embedded, and researched, may have a promising future in the OR environment. It may support surgical decision-making, improve surgical precision, reduce manpower, improve workflow, increase surgical safety, and some day it may even carry out some autonomous functions. 6–8,16,21 In the not so distant future, evolving technology like the OR black box, with integrated deep learning algorithms, may prove to be of great help in analyzing and optimizing workflow and outcome in real time. 55 Indeed, the application and implementation of AI inside the OR still has several challenges to overcome. However, evidence-based research adding to the body of knowledge concerning applications of AI inside the OR is moving quickly. Healthcare professionals ought to accept the fact that we need AI in order to optimize future circumstances in the OR and ultimately, surgical quality and safety. 14,55,56