How AI can use your medical history to fix rushed doctor visits

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How is the system so smart? It’s built on data presented to it.

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“There have been studies that look at, do patients actually get better information out of chatbots versus just going to Google searches,” said Dr. O’Connor. “It’s kind of the same for the most part, and it really has to do with the quality of the information and the data you present to the AI will determine the quality of the information you get out.”

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Essentially, because the system has been presented with the highest quality data possible, it’s able to call on that data to give patients the highest quality intake when it comes to medical interviews and intake.

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“Think about your own experience with chatbots. The better the info you give them, the better the output they will give you, and so FirstHX creates that structured, comprehensive, relevant data set that enables AI to work effectively,” said Dr. O’Connor, noting that many people trying to develop AI technology skip that step, but “AI is only as good as the data it works on.”

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After all is said and done on the patient side, the doctor has easy access through integration with their specific existing workflow, of which there are many, allowing them to easily read and scan what needs to be known before an appointment ever takes place.

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Nowadays, physicians don’t have the same kind of time they used to give to patients, through no fault of their own. It’s an overburdened system. Unfortunately, those time constraints are leaving patients feeling as though they do not get enough out of their appointments.

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“Typically, when you see your clinician, you’ve got how many minutes? You’ve got 15, maybe 20. But you don’t have an abundance of time,” said Dr. O’Connor. “In that time period, they have to collect the data around your current symptoms, past medical history, you know, ask those questions, listen to the answers, sort of figure out what’s going on and then explain to you, here’s what’s wrong.”

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While that may seem like a simple exchange, 15 minutes is often nowhere near enough time to go through all of that and allow the patient to express their questions or concerns on top of it.

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Since it can also calculate health risk scores in other areas, it also gives physicians and patients the chance to be more proactive about their health in a way that’s not possible in today’s time-crunched system.

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“All of that takes time,” said Dr. O’Connor, noting that when there isn’t enough time to address the less urgent things, such as risk scores or medications, “they [doctors] just don’t do it.”

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“There was a study done recently which showed that if a primary care physician was to do all the practices they should do for their patients in a typical office day, it would take them 26 hours. There’s just not the time to do everything that needs to be done.”

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With FirstHX, however, every second spent in the office will be geared toward addressing the patient’s current needs and questions, rather than reviewing the patient’s history. That 26-hour window to get everything done gets significantly smaller when there’s a tool in use that takes a whole lot of time off the clock.

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The tool improves time management, enables workflows to run seamlessly, and makes it easier to deliver better care in less time. But it can also eliminate one significant issue patients face every day: feeling as though they’re not being heard by those who are there to care for them.

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“Patients often feel rushed. They feel interrupted. They don’t get their full story heard,” said Dr. O’Connor. “That’s particularly true for marginalized and disadvantaged groups, but everybody finds it hard … even I’m a physician, I often forget the things to mention in the interview. I leave, and I said, ‘Yeah, I should have brought that up, but I didn’t because you lose it in the moment.”

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He continued, “FirstHX prepares patients for the interview so they can get the most out of their time with the clinician, and I think that’s a valuable thing.”

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