One of the more promising advances in AI in healthcare is the development of remote patient monitoring tools, such as symptom checkers, symptom assessments, and digital self-monitoring.
These tools not only lend a hand redefine and improve patient experiences, but have the potential to improve patient flow, reduce health care disparities, and improve health outcomes through more personalized and correct care recommendations.
This is especially essential at a time when health care availability is degenerating, highlighted by the closure of facilities such as Walmart health centers and other major providers. AI-powered tools offer the potential to fill these gaps by offering virtual consultations and remote monitoring, making healthcare not only more accessible but also more easily tailored to the needs of diverse populations.
Amanda L. Bury is Chief Commercial Officer at Infermedica, a digital health company specializing in artificial intelligence-based systems for symptom analysis and patient selection.
spoke with Bury to discuss how the remote patient monitoring environment lends itself to the operate of artificial intelligence. She gave examples of AI tools developed and used today in the area of RPM.
She also discussed how artificial intelligence combined with RPM can provide more capable care and reduce unnecessary burdens on patient comfort, and how the shift towards technology-enabled healthcare is vital to democratize access and ensure that all people, regardless of their geographical location, timely health care. and effective care.
Q How does a remote patient monitoring environment work in the context of using artificial intelligence?
AND. Implementing remote patient monitoring has been a challenge for years due to the complexity and logistical hurdles faced by both patients and healthcare providers. Artificial intelligence can alleviate these barriers and significantly improve how patients interact with their health data.
One of the biggest hurdles in RPM is helping patients understand the immense amounts of data generated. AI-powered tools can transform this data into personalized insights that are easier for patients to understand. Instead of being overwhelmed with information, patients can receive clear, practical advice tailored to their specific health condition, making their care more physical and accessible.
Artificial intelligence also has the potential to revolutionize the early detection of health problems using RPM, especially in patients with chronic diseases or multiple comorbidities. Traditionally, these patients would have to attend multiple visits, often requiring time and transportation to clinics where older technologies are manually evaluated.
Now artificial intelligence and up-to-date RPM technologies enable continuous monitoring from the comfort of your home. Artificial intelligence can analyze data in real time to detect subtle changes or patterns that may indicate a problem before it escalates. This gives health care providers the opportunity to intervene early, improving outcomes and reducing hospitalizations.
Additionally, AI’s ability to continuously process and analyze data enables more energetic care pathways. Instead of waiting for scheduled appointments to track progress, AI can provide immediate feedback to both patients and care teams. For example, if a patient’s glucose levels are trending upwards, AI can intervene at the right time, such as adjusting medications.
This level of proactive and personalized care would be arduous to achieve without AI-powered RPM. Moreover, AI can simplify the user experience by making RPM devices more intuitive with voice commands and automatic readings, encouraging wider adoption and ultimately making healthcare more capable, accessible and personalized.
Q. What are some examples of AI tools currently being developed or used in the RPM field?
AND. AI tools are transforming the field of RPM by offering solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing healthcare, such as caregiver shortages and restricted access to healthcare providers. One tool that is gaining popularity is the telehealth kiosk, which, while not entirely up-to-date, is being used in a more significant way.
These kiosks enable patients to be triaged for less acute conditions outside of established health care settings. Placed in convenient locations such as shopping malls, pharmacies and workplaces, they deliver health care directly to patients, offering rapid and accessible care. This not only improves access, but also reduces the burden on suppliers by resolving minor issues on-site.
AI-based diagnostic tools in pods and kiosks can perform services such as blood tests and monitoring vital signs. Overall, AI-powered tools like these make RPM more accessible and capable.
They provide patients with immediate health guidance, reduce the need for emergency room visits, and ease the burden on overworked providers. By continuously monitoring and analyzing data in real time, these tools enable patients to more effectively manage their health while helping the healthcare system improve and respond.
Question: You say that AI combined with RPM can provide more effective patient-centered care and reduce unnecessary burdens that make it arduous for patients to operate services. How so?
AND. It can do this by simplifying the care process and reducing unnecessary burdens on patients. in ours early detection testswe focused on the five leading causes of mortality – heart attack, stroke, asthma, pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. These are conditions where early detection can mean the difference between life and death.
AI can analyze massive amounts of data from RPM tools to identify subtle warning signals and lend a hand prevent critical conditions before they escalate. For example, our symptom checker is a tool designed to lend a hand patients when they feel unwell. It can identify symptom patterns that indicate a more grave problem, providing valuable information that might otherwise go unnoticed.
AI also helps improve the patient experience by integrating with everyday tools such as the Oura Ring or smartwatches, which are now more widely used and can be connected to many patient apps. These wearable devices monitor heart rate, sleep patterns, and physical activity, all without the patient having to manually track or report data.
Doctors can operate this data to better understand a patient’s daily activities and overall health, leading to more informed care decisions. This means that patients do not have to constantly self-report or attend check-ups in person, which relieves them of workload while providing doctors with crucial information in real time.
By using artificial intelligence to seamlessly integrate these tools with other systems, we create seamless care pathways that reduce the need for in-person visits and prevent costly long-term care. Artificial intelligence can process and filter out what is most essential to doctors, helping them prioritize the attention of patients who need it most.
This allows for more capable triage and ensures that the most urgent cases are at the top of the workload, improving overall efficiency and reducing the risk of grave conditions being missed. By using artificial intelligence in this way, we can reduce the incidence of disease, improve patient outcomes and improve overall care.
Question: More broadly, you suggest that a shift toward technology-enabled health care is vital to democratizing access and ensuring that all people, regardless of geographic location, receive timely and effective care. What does this change look like today?
AND. I have had the unique opportunity to observe how health care is consumed and delivered in over 30 countries around the world, and it is clear that a shift toward technology-enabled health care is vital in democratizing access to care. We see large-scale effective and capable patient selection methods in many government programs.
This change is being driven by channel-specific delivery methods that leverage consistent capabilities, ensuring that no matter how a patient seeks care – whether through telehealth, in-person visits or remote monitoring – the care delivered is reliable and timely. Technology plays a key role in ensuring that people, regardless of their geographical location, have access to high-quality healthcare.
One way to achieve this in government programs is to focus on health awareness and proper education of citizens. National Institutes of Health recommends that health materials be written at a 6-7 grade reading levelwhich is crucial because health literacy rates are often lower than we expect. Artificial intelligence tools play a pivotal role in bridging this gap.
Patients, especially in rural or underserved areas, need support to understand their health data and make informed decisions about their care. Artificial intelligence can take sophisticated medical information and translate it into understandable, personalized insights, ensuring patients have access to the level of care they need, whether they are in an urban hospital or a rural clinic.
This change also concerns ensuring equal access to health care. By leveraging artificial intelligence and consistent patient triage methods, we see care pathways that can be tailored to the needs of different populations. Artificial intelligence helps remove barriers to care by integrating tools that connect patients with doctors in real time, even in remote locations.
Thanks to this, regardless of whether a person lives in a gigantic city or in the countryside, they can receive timely and effective care, guided by artificial intelligence systems that lend a hand navigate their path to health. This technology-enabled approach makes health care more inclusive and equitable for all.