How Artificial Intelligence Is Reducing the Friction of Patient Self Management

Once a diagnosis is confirmed, a patient often gets given information about how to manage their ailments in the form of pamphlets and various booklets. Aftercare is then followed up, starting on a weekly basis, then a bi-weekly basis, and eventually it is spread across months as the patient becomes more knowledgeable about how to care for themselves.

While this may sound like a solid plan, many still fall through the cracks of effective medical aftercare. As the length of time between follow-up contact lengthens, the patient is often left to fend for themselves with minimal guidance.

This is where artificial intelligence comes in.

Artificial intelligence is helping bring down the costs associated with aftercare self-management, while at the same time delivering better results, higher levels of accuracy, and just-in-time relevant information to the patient.

A prime example of this is the emerging developments of AI in self-management for diabetics.

Improved Quality of Aftercare with AI

Diabetes is a widespread chronic disease that affects 1 in 10 Americans and according to the CDC, it impacts approximately 34.2 million Americans on a daily basis. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports that the average cost of diabetes care in America sits around the average of $16,752 per year.

The high cost of keeping diabetes under wraps for many patients is often a cause of inefficient self-management, leading to too much or not enough insulin. This is where AI comes in.

At the heart of diabetes care is food.  When a patient first enters the world of sugar level controls, navigating the vast amount of information can be both intimidating and time-consuming.

Artificial intelligence is leveraging the various databases and information we have about food - from sugar content to calories to health ratings - to help a diabetic patient make informed choices.

Instead of guidance becoming available when the patient goes back to their doctor or going off limited information they've been given, the AI-driven platform can help the patient make informed decisions immediately, allowing patients to be responsive to their health and make changes as needed.

The Integration of AI Chatbots

AI Chatbots are being leveraged in the medical arena, especially in spaces where patients require answers for their concerns. A New York city-based plastic surgeon, Philip Miller, MD, commissioned the development of an AI Chatbot that integrates medical knowledge to help alleviate and answer patient questions instantly.

Rather than having to spend a good portion of his time answering the same questions, the AI chatbot is able to act as his personal assistant, using his certified knowledge to give patients quality before and after care. It also offers his patients instant answers, without being constrained by Miller's personal time-bound capacity to reply.

AI chatbots are also capable of going beyond answering the medical questions and providing a tailored experience to care. It can also look after the patients’ and practitioners' schedules, which includes automatically scheduling follow-ups and reminding the patient of protocols to follow before they come to the face-to-face meeting, and what to do when they get home.

How Much Savings?

An analysis by Accenture predicts that AI applications in healthcare can create an annual savings of $150 billion for the US healthcare economy by 2026.

This vast difference can be achieved through a mixture of equipping patients with the right knowledge and tools, as well as freeing up health professionals’ time from aftercare activities and services that are often repetitive. The externalization and delegation of knowledge to AI-driven platforms allow healthcare workers to focus on the nuances of a patient's care, while also allowing them to gather more accurate information on the patient and their habits.

AI enables patients to have their own virtual health assistance instantaneously, rather than having to wait for their health professional to become available. This reduces the readmission rates and improves the experience of aftercare for patients across the medical spectrum.

Co-authored by:

Dave Wesley ~ President, SRG
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Aphinya Dechalert ~ Marketing Communications, SRG
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