AI in Healthcare – Part 3

This will be my last article about the mini-series “AI in Healthcare”. In “Ai in Healthcare – Part 2”, I focused on radiology and drug development. I will now wrap up the series with impacts closer to patients and healthcare workers.

 In personalized medicine, AI can analyze a patient’s medical history, genetic data, and lifestyle factors and then the AI can recommend personalized treatment plans and predict potential health risks. It can also offer tailored preventative care measures.

For example, Mount Sinai Health System in New York City has implemented an AI platform called GeneSight to personalize treatment for patients with depression. A patient diagnosed with depression undergoes a genetic test. GeneSight analyzes the patient’s genetic data along with other clinical factors like medical history and current medications. Based on this combined analysis, GeneSight predicts how a patient is likely to respond to different antidepressant medications.

Traditionally, doctors often have to resort to trial and error when prescribing antidepressants, a process which can be a frustrating and time-consuming for patients experiencing depression. GeneSight’s AI helps doctors choose the medication most likely to be effective for a specific patient, potentially leading to faster and more successful treatment outcomes. Ethical considerations regarding data privacy and potential bias in AI algorithms need to be considered.

AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots can streamline administrative tasks in hospitals and clinics, freeing up healthcare workers’ time for patient care. The AI-powered virtual assistants can answer basic patient questions and provide appointment scheduling or medication reminders. Following is a couple of examples.

Atrium Health, a large healthcare system based in North Carolina, utilizes an AI-powered virtual assistant named “MyAtrium” accessible through their patient portal and website. Patients can use MyAtrium to schedule appointments, receive confirmations, and manage cancellations or rescheduling needs. MyAtrium also helps patients access and understand their bills, make online payments, and ask questions about insurance coverage. Patients can use MyAtrium to find information about hospital services, locations, physician bios, and answers to frequently asked questions. The 24/7 availability allows patients to access information and complete tasks outside of regular business hours. AI helps streamline administrative processes and reduce the need for phone calls or in-person visits for routine tasks. It can also free up staff time to focus on providing direct patient care.

A second example is Piedmont Healthcare, a healthcare system in Georgia. It uses an AI assistant called “Evelyn” to manage pre-appointment tasks and patient communication. Evelyn guides patients through a pre-screening process before their appointments, collecting necessary medical history details and confirming insurance information. The AI also sends automated appointment reminders and post-visit follow-up messages to patients. Evelyn can address frequently asked questions patients may have about their appointments, arrival procedures, or basic billing inquiries.

AI “Evelyn” improves operational efficiency by automating pre-appointment tasks and reducing the burden on administrative staff. It enhances patient communication and ensures they arrive prepared for their appointments and frees up phone lines for more complex patient inquiries requiring human interaction.

These are just a couple of examples of the use of AI virtual assistants in healthcare. The use of AI is growing rapidly and finding its way into every nook and cranny of our outdated healthcare system. As technology continues to develop, we can expect more innovative applications for streamlining administrative tasks and improving the patient experience. I will share additional stories about the applications of AI in healthcare as I learn of them.

Note: I use Gemini AI and other AI chatbots as my research assistants. AI can boost productivity for anyone who creates content. Sometimes I get incorrect data from AI, and when something looks suspicious, I dig deeper. Sometimes the data varies by sources where AI finds it. I take responsibility for my posts and if anyone spots an error, I will appreciate knowing it, and will correct it.