There has been much discussion about how artificial intelligence can be used in telehealth, balancing the need for efficiency with patient safety and privacy.
Howard Hu, CEO of Whereby, a provider of a Video conferencing API for telehealth platforms, knows this niche well. His company implements AI to enable real-time transcription of patient sessions, allowing practitioners to engage more deeply with patients without the distraction of note-taking.
The goal is not only to improve the accuracy of records, but also to ensure that essential details are captured. Whereby has more than 800 customers, Hu said.
We interviewed Hu to discuss how AI can help with real-time transcription of patient sessions, how AI transcription has the ability to analyze and summarize key consultation points, how AI transcription offers the ability to detect patterns in patient data to deliver personalized care, and how AI transcription can help provider organizations better understand recent data and usage patterns around telehealth.
Q. How can AI help with real-time transcription of patient sessions, and what are the benefits?
A. AI is truly changing the game when it comes to real-time transcription in telehealth by making documentation easy and accurate. Imagine if every word of a conversation between doctors and patients was captured instantly, without anyone having to manually take notes. This means healthcare providers can give their full attention to their patients instead of worrying about taking notes.
The benefits of AI-assisted transcription are enormous. For starters, it reduces errors in medical records since it records everything that is said during a session, ensuring that nothing important falls through the cracks. Plus, it speeds things up: Doctors can review and complete their notes right after a session, making the entire process more efficient and allowing patients to get the follow-up they need faster.
And let’s not forget how much easier it makes patient care. Having detailed, accurate records ready to go allows doctors to make better decisions faster. Patients get the undivided attention of their healthcare providers. It’s possible right now, and this is just the beginning. the possible benefits of AI transcription.
Q. You suggest that AI transcription has the ability to analyze and summarize key consultation points, simplifying clinician review and facilitating treatment planning. Please explain here.
A. The next step in the AI transcription journey is to use AI to summarize key points from raw transcripts. AI can capture the most important information from sessions and create clear, concise summaries. This means that physicians can quickly review the highlights without sifting through detailed raw notes, saving them a lot of time.
These AI-generated summaries make treatment planning much easier. Doctors can spot trends and critical details at a glance, helping them make better decisions and tailor treatment plans to each patient’s needs. It can also help doctors maintain context across multiple sessions with the same patient. Key trends can be spotted over time that might otherwise go unnoticed.
More, AI summaries help keep all members of the care team informed. When different team members need to review a patient’s history, they can quickly familiarize themselves with these summaries. This improves the efficiency of the entire process and ensures that patients receive consistent, high-quality care from everyone involved.
Q. You also suggest that AI transcription offers the potential to detect patterns in patient data to provide personalized and effective care. How does this work?
A. AI transcription goes beyond capturing and summarizing conversations. It can also spot patterns in patient data to provide personalized care. By analyzing multiple sessions, AI can detect recurring themes or issues that might not be obvious at first glance. This helps doctors better understand a patient’s health trends over time, allowing them to gain deeper insights for better diagnosis and treatment.
For example, if a patient frequently mentions certain symptoms that could indicate a specific pathology, AI can flag these recurring mentions to the doctor. This way, potential health issues can be detected earlier and treatment plans can be adjusted accordingly. It’s like having an extra pair of highly analytical eyes on the patient’s history, ensuring that nothing important has been missed.
This ability to detect clinical patterns also translates into more personalized patient care. By understanding each person’s unique health history and trends, physicians can create treatment plans specifically tailored to their needs.
AI helps ensure that care is not just reactive but proactive, addressing potential problems before they become serious and tailoring treatments to each patient’s specific situation. This leads to better outcomes and a more personalized healthcare experience for each individual. This is very exciting.
Q. How can AI transcription help service provider organizations better understand recent data and usage patterns around telehealth?
A. By analyzing transcripts from different patient sessions, while maintaining strict confidentiality requirements, AI can highlight common themes and trends. This helps healthcare organizations see what types of issues are frequently discussed and how often certain conditions or treatments are discussed. It’s like having a detailed, real-time report on what’s happening during all those virtual visits.
This type of information is extremely valuable because it allows healthcare providers to spot trends and make data-driven decisions. For example, if the number of patients reporting mental health issues increases, the organization can respond by providing more resources or training to its providers in this area. This allows strategies to be adjusted and services improved based on actual utilization patterns and patient needs.
Additionally, AI transcription can help highlight how telehealth services are being used over time. Are patients using telehealth for follow-ups more than initial consultations? Are patients discussing preventative health or seeking specific treatments? Are telehealth visits often referring to in-person follow-ups?
Understanding these patterns can help organizations optimize their planning, allocate resources more efficiently, and even predict future trends. This leads to better planning and a more effective telehealth program overall.
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