Machine Learning in Medical Technology. Analysis and Recommendations

The consensus among the experts is that, as in other areas, machine learning is going to play a very important role in the fields of medicine and medical technology. It will bring benefits – but also risks – for patients, businesses and medical professionals alike. Machine learning systems pose a number of very different challenges across several areas, including treatment practice, quality control, safety in emergency situations and the evaluation of computer-generated diagnoses and treatment pathways.

This acatech POSITION PAPER was produced by a working group made up of medical and technology experts. In it, the project group provides an overview of current machine learning applications in the field of medical technology and discusses some of the key future areas of application. It also addresses the ethical, legal and regulatory dimensions, together with critical questions about data protection and potential changes in the doctor-patient relationship. In addition to proposals concerning the establishment of large medical databases, the position paper makes a series of recommendations for doctors, research funding institutions and policymakers.