Conversational AI in Healthcare: Top Use Cases
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Given the rapid advancements in the field of AI, the healthcare industry is quickly embracing digitalization and automation across various processes. From handling basic administrative tasks to assisting in cancer diagnosis, AI is becoming an indispensable aid for doctors and clinicians. This technological integration is crucial for them to handle the increasing patient requests, especially considering the declining number of qualified professionals. Many healthcare workers are grappling with burnout due to frequent double shifts, and AI plays a vital role in supporting them and maintaining a firm grip on the ever-growing demands of their practice.
Conversational AI is a valuable tool for relieving the administrative workload in clinics and hospitals, enabling them to concentrate on what truly matters – patient care. Optum reports that a significant 72 % of healthcare leaders rely on AI to assist with nonclinical administrative tasks, and this trust is backed by tangible results from implemented products. Now, let’s delve into the typical use cases of conversational AI in this domain.
Use Cases of Conversational AI in Clinics and Hospitals
Numerous practical use cases offer benefits to both doctors and patients, and the range of applications is expanding daily. Let’s explore some of the most common and already tested applications in practice:
Virtual Nurse Assistants
Virtual Nurse Assistants are helping patients with daily monitoring of their health status, collecting data and flagging the symptoms or irregularities. The doctor’s do not have to monitor their patients daily but can only focus on the key vulnerabilities of the patient. The chatbot can help with tracking the symptoms and also include some educational content, providing patients with information such as dietary recommendations, etc. On top of that, the virtual nurse assistant can schedule doctor’s appointments if needed.
Scheduling Appointments
Facilitating doctor’s appointments can be a significant objective in itself. Does your clinic manage multiple departments, deal with irregular doctor shifts, and handle a high volume of patient requests at the reception desk? Introducing a simple chatbot, accessible on both your website and within their client account, can streamline the process for your patients, thanks to its seamless integration with your systems.
The chatbot guides them through their options, assists in navigating the needed appointment, and suggests available slots with their preferred doctor. Patients can revisit the conversation whenever necessary, easily cancel or reschedule appointments to suit their preferences. This way, they avoid the hassle of scrolling through numerous options on your website or having to call the reception every time they need to book an appointment.
Sending Reminders and Important Information
Whether it’s an appointment reminder sent via text messages, email, or a brief call from a voice bot, keeping patients informed is crucial. You can also use this platform to notify patients about the importance of a preventive check-up or share any necessary information from your end, such as changes in doctor hours or billing. Leveraging conversational AI platforms, either on a regular basis or for specific outbound campaigns, helps in updating patients on essential information.
Not all patients check your website regularly, and let’s face it, websites aren’t always up to date either. This approach helps prevent miscommunication, ensuring patients receive alerts and don’t miss their appointments, ultimately ensuring your doctors’ schedules are optimized for those who genuinely need treatment.
Managing Patients’ Health and Medication
Picture this: you open a user-friendly chatbot and inquire about anything you need regarding your patient’s medical records—such as their current medications or the results of the latest medical examinations or tests. The AI bot, seamlessly integrated with your database, can retrieve any required data within seconds. This eliminates the need for doctors to spend valuable time searching through the database. Additionally, the chatbot can also display charts comparing your patient’s results with the established norms, providing a comprehensive view of their health status.
Billing Management
Virtual assistants are here to simplify billing. They not only inform patients about the estimated cost for a specific appointment (if applicable) but also address any billing-related questions your patients might have using data from your price list or database. Moreover, the bot can handle transactions and generate the required confirmations for insurance companies, freeing up your clinicians to concentrate on more complex tasks.
Automation of Creating Medical Reports
Here’s another innovative approach to leverage AI during medical examinations. Doctors can use tools like Jabra or others to record the entire examination, which is then transcribed in real-time. By the end of the appointment, the technology, employing a unique blend of generative AI and conversational AI, automatically provides the doctor with a summary and generates comprehensive medical reports, including prescription details.
Moreover, the system can actively create prescriptions and requests for additional examinations. This not only relieves doctors of significant administrative tasks but also allows them to concentrate more on patient care. The integration with the systems ensures that all the necessary information is readily available for the next appointment, streamlining the entire process.
Collecting Patients’ Feedback
Initiate a seamless feedback process by employing virtual assistants to gather valuable insights post-patient interaction, whether it’s a visit or a surgical procedure. Patients can rate services on a scale, and the virtual assistant can pose follow-up questions, delving into why the patient was satisfied or dissatisfied. Remarkably, up to 80% of calls from voice bots collecting feedback receive responses, providing a substantial pool of valuable insights. This data empowers healthcare providers to continually enhance their services, addressing patient needs promptly and effectively.
Main Benefits
1. Higher Productivity: Implementation of AI technologies leads to increased efficiency and output in healthcare processes, allowing for more tasks to be accomplished within the same timeframe.
2. Lower Administrative Costs: Automation and AI contribute to a reduction in administrative overhead, freeing up resources that can be redirected towards patient care and other critical areas.
3. Better Quality Care: AI systems aid healthcare professionals in delivering improved patient care by providing accurate and timely information, enabling more informed decision-making.
4. 24/7 Availability: With AI-driven solutions, healthcare services become available around the clock, ensuring timely assistance and support for patients irrespective of the time of day.
5. Streamlining of Active Operations: AI streamlines various operational tasks, optimizing processes, and reducing the complexities associated with managing healthcare services.
6. Easy Access to Medical Records: AI facilitates seamless access to comprehensive and updated medical records, enhancing the continuity of care and promoting a holistic understanding of a patient’s health history.
7. Accelerated Workflows: The integration of AI accelerates workflows by automating repetitive tasks, enabling healthcare professionals to focus more on critical aspects of patient care.
Conslusion
Considering incorporating these use cases into your practice? Or perhaps you have your own innovative ideas on how your hospital or clinic can leverage Conversational and Generative AI? We’re here to offer our AI expertise and help tailor the most efficient solution to meet your specific needs. Feel free to reach out and book a non-binding demo.