The adoption of AI technology and applications has already shown its powerful transformative potential in delivering, receiving, and trusting healthcare by both patients and practitioners. AI intersects with the healthcare industry on every level, from appointment scheduling and two-way automated correspondence to the testing, diagnosing, and treatment processes. AI can significantly impact the credibility and value of practice by streamlining patient touch-points, creating efficient communication patterns, therefore, the safe and proactive use of patient data. In line with recent studies, 83% of patients describe poor communication as the worst part of the patient experience in 2020, encouraging the necessity and desire for effective and consistent patient-provider correspondence.
Covid-19 has ignited conversation surrounding the disconnection, loneliness, and increased feelings of depression cascaded across the globe due to reduced social interaction. As we still navigate AI and our shared experience of living through this pandemic, AI continues to cultivate the patient/provider experience in many ways, such as automated patient communication and knowledge collection can considerably release time and energy spent on tedious, time-consuming tasks like appointment booking, reminders, handling no-shows, and payment remittances. This time allocation dramatically interferes with physicians’ ability to form a trusting, collaborative relationship with their patients — one where a patient’s well-being is valued. While this relationship is established, patients become more involved and proactive in their healthcare journey. They are more likely to value the credibility of their practitioner and adherence to their treatment regime.
Virtual and telehealthcare supported by AI enable patients to perform critical tasks from home without the time, expenses, and inconvenience of transport, often essential for patients who board remote areas. Intake forms, symptom-checks, Covid-19 pre-screening, and submissions of updated health care information can all be performed immediately from home with the help of AI. AI’s real-time transmission of knowledge between patients and doctors helps practitioners be more well-prepared and grant longer duration for patients they see virtually. Trust within the protection of sensitive medical information is of great importance to patients. An AI’s ability to extensively store both new and historical data enables it to interpret a patient’s wants with greater urgency. AI’s power to simplify and speed up healthcare communications, diagnoses, and applied treatments is linked to the standard of care patients receive.
With digital communication and knowledge processing tool, AI and its continuous adoption within the healthcare industry will inherently have a growing impact on the patient and provider experience. We are just starting to learn how to harness AI to cultivate more vital healthcare systems and ensure that the worth of connection is not lost but nurtured in its use among healthcare providers.
