ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-BASED DECISION SUPPORT FOR REDUCING TREATMENT ABANDONMENT AMONG MEN WITH PROSTATE CANCER IN AFRICA

Abstract

Prostate cancer has been recognised as a global public health challenge especially in Africa, with the abandonments of treatment contributing to worse outcomes and mortality among affected men. This systematic study focused on exploring artificial intelligence potentials, especially as a decision support system for the purpose of reducing the treatment abandonment through the identification of patients at high risk of discontinued care. Evidence from several studies was evaluated to assess the artificial intelligence applications like machine learning algorithm, predictive analytics and digital health technology in the prediction of the patient’s disease as well as support personalised solutions. It was established that it has the capacity to combine clinical, socio-economic, behaviour, and the healthcare factors to produce decision support for healthcare providers. This kind of system has the potential to facilitate appointment reminder, follow up interventions as well as the allocation of resources for patients that are vulnerable. Regardless of the challenges facing artificial intelligence application such as the quality of data, digital infrastructure, privacy, affordability and bias in algorithm. Artificial intelligence provides adequate opportunity for strengthening the continuity of the treatment care in Africa. The integration of artificial intelligence-based decision supports into an existing cancer care workflow will provide a scalable solution to reducing the treatment abandonment as well as enhancing the overall survival and quality of life among the African men having prostate cancer.