U of A doctor pushes for AI to improve veterans' health care
A doctor at the University of Arizona is helping diagnose veterans with sleep apnea with a new AI machine.
Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Arizona, is spearheading efforts to use artificial intelligence to diagnose and treat sleep disorders in veterans, particularly sleep apnea. Having testified on Capitol Hill, Dr. Parthasarathy emphasized the need for faster biomedical innovation at VA hospitals, arguing that modern medicine is too complex for physicians to manage alone. His team has already integrated an AI tool into electronic medical records to help primary care doctors screen for sleep apnea—an underdiagnosed condition linked to PTSD, depression, and heart disease—making it especially vital for Tucson’s veteran population, which comprises about 10% of the community.