From diagnostics and imaging to estimating the market impact of AI in the future, new AI and other innovative technologies caught the attention of many in the healthcare industry this year. Here are AI in Healthcare's top 10 AI and clinical innovation stories from 2018. A report released by Signify Research estimated the global market for AI in medical imaging is expected to see significant growth in the years ahead, topping $2 billion by 2023. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston developed "surgery in a pill" to treat type 2 diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels after a meal, with the approach detailed in a study. Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists named the utilization of AI in healthcare as the second most important medical innovation for 2019.

For patients with chronic illnesses in rural areas, clinician shortages can present a real health challenge. A flare-up or health issue might mean a trip to the emergency room, which is costly for the patient and the hospital. Now, patients can meet with doctors in different cities by utilizing virtual care, which provides convenient and cost-effective healthcare. AI-enhanced virtual care is one of Gartner's 10 top predictions for 2019 and beyond. The predictions examine three fundamental effects of continued digital innovation: AI and skills, cultural advancement and processes becoming products.

Artificial intelligence could be key to driving down emergency room visits over the next five years, according to one research company's crystal ball. By 2023, enrollment of chronically ill patients in AI-enhanced virtual care will result in 20 million fewer ER visits, according to a prediction by Connecticut-based research company Gartner, which recently released its "Top Strategic Predictions for 2019 and Beyond" report. The report examined three fundamental effects of continued digital innovation: AI and skills, cultural advancement, and processes becoming products. The prediction underscores the growing prominence of virtual care, which may be cheaper than face-to-face encounters and also help reduce pressures from clinical shortages, according to Gartner. "For patients with chronic illnesses in rural areas, clinician shortages can present a real health challenge. A flare-up or health issue might mean a trip to the emergency room, which is costly for the patient and the hospital," the report reads.

Artificial intelligence could be key to driving down emergency room visits over the next five years, according to one research company's crystal ball.