Artificial IntelligenceTelemedicineAI’s Impact on the Telehealth Space

By Josh Thompson, Founder & CEO — Impact Health USA

The AI revolution is well underway in the business world, with AI-driven tools empowering companies to boost efficiency, productivity, and profitability. To optimize the power of artificial intelligence, companies must identify the best use cases for their particular industry. In the telehealth space, AI provides the capability to improve efficiency in a number of key areas.

Improving telehealth with AI-powered data analytics

The power that AI brings to data analytics undergirds many of its benefits for the telehealth sector. By empowering predictive analytics, for example, AI can assist telehealth providers in improving both administrative and clinical processes.

Predictive analytics can use historical data to predict fluctuations in patient volume, empowering more efficient resource forecasting for providers. This can reduce costs for the clinic and reduce wait times for patients, leading to a better overall patient experience.

Additionally, predictive analytics can be crucial for preventive care and chronic disease management. By analyzing patient data, AI can identify individuals who are at a high risk for developing chronic conditions, enabling early interventions. Predictive analytics can also be used to identify which treatments could be most effective based on a patient’s unique history.

AI enhances the patient triage and diagnosis process by giving telehealth providers a tool for fast and accurate assessment of a patient’s needs. Data analytics once again come into play in this area, giving clinics the ability to rapidly assess patient symptoms and assign a level of urgency to their care.

Applying AI in these ways allows telehealth providers to deliver higher levels of personalized care, which today’s patients have identified as a top priority.

Enhancing telehealth services with AI-powered chatbots

AI-powered chatbots are one of the most exciting innovations currently being deployed in the telehealth space. While the industry is still experimenting with use cases, early studies have shown that chatbots can provide more accurate and empathetic answers to patient questions than human doctors.

Chatbots have the potential to make patient care available 24/7, eliminating wait times for access to personalized information on a wide range of medical issues. They can provide immediate patient support, answer common health questions, and perform initial assessments as part of the triage process. As their capabilities evolve, AI-driven chatbots deployed as part of telehealth strategies could leverage diagnostic tools to extend healthcare services into underserved communities.

Addressing the risks of AI bias

As telehealth providers seek to leverage the benefits of AI, they also must take steps to address the risks of AI bias. Distorted outcomes caused by biases are especially dangerous in the telehealth space, where AI-driven tools are being used to diagnose conditions or suggest treatments.

Addressing AI bias is a multi-step process that starts with ensuring training data properly represents the population served by telehealth tools. Next, data must be “cleaned” to identify and remove biases from data. Finally, AI tools must be continually monitored for evidence of biases and quickly updated when problems are detected.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to reshape the telehealth space, offering an enhanced patient experience that requires fewer resources from healthcare providers. To achieve its full potential, however, providers must find ways to meet patient needs while also protecting them from the risks AI introduces.

— Josh Thompson is the visionary Founder and CEO of Impact Health USA and Impact Health University. With a rich background in healthcare, Josh has revolutionized access to medical services through his national telehealth platform, offering primary care, obesity medications, and mental health support. Under his leadership, Impact Health USA has expanded to all 50 states, transforming healthcare accessibility and empowering entrepreneurs to own their own telehealth businesses serviced by Impact Health USA. Recognizing the potential for broader impact, Josh founded Impact Health University, where he consults and educates aspiring entrepreneurs and clinic owners on building successful healthcare businesses. His innovative approach combines technology and patient-centered care, setting new standards in the telehealth industry. Josh’s dedication to improving healthcare access and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders make him a prominent figure in the industry.