Artificial intelligence has long provided fodder for science fiction movies. They have thrilled the imagination with far-fetched concepts of a world very much unlike our own, where autonomous beings are practically playing the role of physicians and other frontline workers. What started as wishful thinking about the future of artificial intelligence has however turned out to be reality. As we speak, machine learning algorithms are already working alongside human physicians, plugging clinical workflows to shore up efficiency and realize a new hybrid clinical workflow. The future of artificial intelligence telehealth is here and today we track its rise through the ranks.
The AI in Telehealth Market: Growth Substantiated by Hard Numbers
If you ever need concrete proof of AI’s influence in the telehealth industry, you need only look at a few statistics to instantly gain perspective that AI is truly taking over.
Here are a few important numbers that showcase the reach of artificial intelligence over the clinical workflow:
- In 2022, $16.3 billion was the valuation of this market
- By 2029, the AI in healthcare market will surpass $173.5 billion in value
- This market exhibits a tremendous CAGR of 40.2%. That means that the market size is almost doubling, year on year!
In a nutshell, we’re noticing a pattern of accelerated growth as the AI in telehealth market keeps on reaching for the stars and climbing new levels.
Why is AI in Telehealth Growing so Fast? Here are Some Answers
If there’s one thing these numbers we’ve looked at so far tell us, it’s that the AI in telehealth market is growing and that it’s doing so at the speed of light. What you might not get from the numbers is just why that is happening.
Let’s clear that up by considering some important drivers.
1. Physician shortages
It may be a bitter pill to swallow but hospitals are indeed deathly understaffed. This personnel deficiency continues to threaten care quality and health outcomes. As a matter of fact, reports suggest that, by 2034, the US will run short of 48,000 primary care doctors.
By automating administrative tasks in medicine, artificial intelligence may shoulder some of that burden to free up caregivers to tend to higher-value tasks. This will allow clinical workflows to get by even with smaller numbers.
2. Personalization
Personalization has also been a kink in the neck for many care facilities. While 7 in 10 patients desire bespoke care, not may get their wish due to data silos, personnel shortages, and other challenges. AI is rectifying the status quo by:
Providing support in terms of patient education
- Assisting in the segmentation of patient populations to ensure more bespoke experiences
- Easing communication between providers and patients
- Offering alerts to improve treatment adherence
3. Healthcare costs
Healthcare can also be pretty expensive, with the average person spending at least $1,129 annually according to a Statista report. AI is viewed as one of the ways to bring down healthcare spending, and thus make care more affordable and accessible.
The combination of artificial intelligence and telehealth can help improve clinical workflow cost-efficiency. This is realized through the reduction of paperwork (and subsequent storage costs) and offsetting travel expenses for physicians and patients, among others.
Real-World Examples of AI in Telehealth
In this section, we get to work on grounding theory in reality as we take a look at a couple of innovative ways AI is being leveraged across telehealth care.
1. Aura Health RPM service
Aura Health Solutions is a company that provides chronic care management, remote patient monitoring, and telemedicine at large. At our facility, one way we’re tapping into AI is through smart RPM systems.
Machine learning algorithms learn from patient data via wearables that collect crucial health indicators and information such as:
- Blood pressure
- Respiratory rate
- Blood pressure and so on
From this data and historical patterns, AI helps to detect early warning signs of a looming adverse event such as a heart attack. Upon this detection, our AI-driven RPM sends notifications to physicians who can now provide timely interventions to save a life or avert severe tissue damage.
2. One Remission Chatbots
Physicians aren’t always able to provide patient support as needed, leading to longer turnaround times. That’s all changing with innovative AI in telehealth applications such as intelligent chatbots like that developed by OneRemission, which can provide almost instantaneous assistance.
This chatbot leverages the power of machine learning to understand a mountain of data as relates to sleep patterns, exercising, and appropriate diets. Being a cancer-specific platform, it uses AI to gather important unique data about the patient- such as the stage of cancer and prevailing symptoms – to suggest lifestyle or treatment adjustments in line with the recommendations of a human physician.
3. Orlando Health Baby Health system
For first-time parents, having a baby brings up a lot of uncertainties. Orlando Health has created an AI-powered system to give new mothers a helping hand, by availing important information throughout the gestation period via telehealth technologies.
Right from the moment of conception and through to the final weeks, the machine learning algorithms track data, providing personalized information via email and notifications. This advice is personalized to the mother’s condition and nature of pregnancy, ensuring highly bespoke information that beats generic internet sources to match individual needs. Additionally, the tool can also answer questions that new mothers have about the progress of their pregnancies.
AI is a Doctor’s New Best Friend
Taking the guesswork out of healthcare and helping clinicians with time- and effort-intensive tasks, artificial intelligence is quickly cementing itself as an invaluable constituent of modern telehealth. From improving diagnostic turnaround time to personalizing patient experiences even better, AI is strengthening patient-physician relationships and improving telehealth in multiple ways. While many have argued that AI might have increased the gap between doctor and patient, it’s quite clear that it is, in fact, achieving the opposite outcomes. If you’d like to do more than just read about the potential of artificial intelligence in telehealth and want to seize those benefits for your workflow, contact us today for AI-driven healthcare solutions such as smart remote patient monitoring.
is Aura’s proprietary digital healthcare platform
