How AI is Changing the Way Patients Receive Care
In our last article, Where Have All the Doctors Gone?, we explored the growing physician shortage and the real impact it’s having on patient care. Longer wait times, fewer independent doctors, and an aging population are the beginning of a crisis that is leaving patients frustrated and at risk for delayed diagnoses and treatment.
The answer isn’t just about trying to add more doctors—it’s about leveraging AI and digital health tools to empower patients and create a smarter, more accessible healthcare system.
AI is already making healthcare more efficient, accurate, and personalized in ways that should help to bridge the gap left by doctor shortages. But its not replacing doctors … yet. As AI-powered tools become more sophisticated, widely adopted, and integrated into mainstream healthcare, I believe we will each (happily) use AI regularly in our healthcare.
So, what does this future look like? Here are five ways AI is transforming patient care—and how you can benefit today.
1. Faster and More Accurate Diagnoses
Delays in seeing a doctor often mean delays in diagnosis, which can have serious consequences. AI is changing that by:
- Analyzing medical images (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans) in seconds.
- Identifying patterns in lab results and patient history that human doctors might miss.
- Providing instant second opinions when doctors are unavailable.
AI-powered diagnostics are already proving to be very useful to doctors, leading to better accuracy and care. For example, in this article published in Natural Connections, doctors were better overall using AI to assist them, but as the study notes, “we found that AI-assistance does not homogeneously influence all experts and clinical decisions. Evaluators will adjust their decision closer towards AI recommendation only if they agree with that recommendation and only, if they find it necessary.” In other words, human doctors are clearly still in charge and are making their own decisions.
AI tools used today
✅ Qure.ai: Uses AI to analyze medical imaging, detecting abnormalities in X-rays and CT scans with high accuracy.
✅ Ezra: Provides full-body MRI scans powered by AI, allowing for early detection of potential health issues.
✅ Aidoc: Enhances radiologist efficiency by flagging acute anomalies in real-time, speeding up diagnosis.
2. Personalized and AI-Driven Treatment Plans
Healthcare has long relied on one-size-fits-all treatments, but AI is making precision medicine a reality.
- AI analyzes genetic information, lifestyle habits, and past medical data to tailor treatment plans to individual patients.
- AI can predict how a patient will respond to medications before they even take them.
- Patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer will receive more personalized and effective care.
For example, as reported in the Harvard Gazette, a new AI model trained specifically for cancer can now diagnose, guide treatment and predict outcomes.
AI tools used today
✅ Use Selfii to consolidate your medical history, lab results, and medications so AI-driven precision medicine tools can personalize your treatment.
✅ Tempus: Uses AI and genomic sequencing to deliver personalized treatment plans for cancer patients.
✅ Deep Genomics: Leverages AI to identify genetic mutations, improving targeted therapies.
3. Virtual Health Assistants for 24/7 Medical Support
For many patients, getting answers to health concerns means waiting for an appointment or sitting on hold with a doctor’s office. AI-powered virtual health assistants are changing that by:
- Triaging symptoms and suggesting next steps.
- Answering basic medical questions based on trusted medical data.
- Assisting with medication reminders and follow-ups.
These AI assistants won’t replace doctors, but they can help bridge the gap between visits, providing real-time guidance and reducing unnecessary trips to the clinic.
AI tools used today
✅ Ada Health: Uses AI-driven symptom checking to guide users to the appropriate care.
✅ Selfii: Provides personalized symptom tracking, reminders, and health insights.
4. AI-Powered Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring
With physician shortages making in-person appointments harder to book, telemedicine and remote monitoring are becoming essential.
- AI enhances virtual consultations, allowing doctors to diagnose patients remotely with greater accuracy.
- Smart devices (like Apple Watches, glucose monitors, and blood pressure cuffs) can send real-time data to AI systems.
- AI detects early signs of complications and alerts patients and doctors before emergencies happen.
Remote monitoring is particularly beneficial for chronic disease management, ensuring that conditions like heart disease or diabetes are tracked in real-time instead of waiting for the next doctor’s visit.
AI tools used today
✅ Teladoc Health: Uses AI to enhance virtual consultations and predict health issues.
✅ Livongo: AI-powered remote monitoring for diabetes and hypertension, providing personalized insights.
✅ Biofourmis: Analyzes wearable device data to detect early signs of health deterioration.
5. AI for Clinical Trial Matching and Drug Discovery
Many patients never hear about life-saving clinical trials because their doctors don’t have the time or resources to match them. AI is solving this by:
- Analyzing patient records and genetics to instantly match them to relevant clinical trials.
- Accelerating drug discovery, bringing new treatments to market faster than ever before.
- Making experimental treatments more accessible to patients in need.
For example, AI is already helping researchers design better drugs by predicting how compounds will interact in the body before testing even begins.
AI tools used today
✅ Selfii: Analyzes your comprehensive electronic health records to identify relevant clinical trials faster and more efficient than ever before.
✅ Antidote: Uses AI to match patients with relevant clinical trials, making research more accessible.
✅ Trials.ai: Uses AI to optimize trial design, improving efficiency and patient recruitment.
Final Thoughts: AI Isn’t Replacing Doctors
Right now, AI is enhancing healthcare, making diagnostics faster, treatment more personalized, and access to care easier. AI isn’t stepping into the doctor shortage gap just yet. But its coming and frankly it doesn’t sound awful.
Imagine a future where:
- AI provides instant diagnoses, so patients don’t have to wait months for a specialist.
- AI-powered systems prescribe personalized treatments without needing a physician to approve every decision.
- AI-driven virtual health assistants handle routine medical issues with no wait times.
- AI-enabled telemedicine platforms provide direct care, reducing the need for in-person visits altogether.
We aren’t there yet—but we’re getting close. AI is already proving that it can improve patient care, and as more AI-powered apps and services (like Selfii, Qure.ai, and Antidote Match) become mainstream, we’ll move toward a system where AI truly bridges the gap left by doctor shortages.
The future of healthcare won’t just be AI-assisted—it will be AI-powered. And patients who start using these tools now will be the first to benefit.