AI and Machine learning are revolutionizing the healthcare industry. AI affects every step of the healthcare procedures, whether it is the diagnosis, treatment, or day-to-day administrative processes. It is also helpful in creating patient engagement.
Patient engagement is necessary to bring patient satisfaction. For ages, healthcare has tried to create patient engagement by giving them additional information through handouts and pamphlets. Now the traditional face-to-face interactions changed into telehealth. The patient engagement process is also changed to letters, telephone calls, emails, or messages. In tech-enabled hospitals, create online patient portals or Patient mobile apps.
As the industry competition increases, the need for patient satisfaction also increases. Patients expect an immediate response from the care provider. AI models like electronic health records, wearable devices, or next-generation data sources will become necessary for patient engagement to beat this competition.
Improve Patient Engagement.
The recent seismic changes in healthcare increase the need for “AI-enabled patient care.” Today’s patients become more demanding to know about their healthcare choices. Patients feel more comfortable with the healthcare providers using AI to support their decisions regarding healthcare. Patient satisfaction is based on three factors
- Communication
- Empathy
- And Care coordination
If you use continual communication channels and receive an immediate response, it brings in patient satisfaction. A patient is waiting, or not knowing why he is waiting can frustrate him.
AI helps to improve patient engagement.
AI helps healthcare providers to involve inpatient healthcare directly. For example, healthcare providers can respond directly and promptly to patients on patient portals. The care provider’s response creates patient satisfaction, and he will prefer to continue the services of the same care provider. Patient portals are an easy way to communicate with the patients without any increase in workloads.
AI helps patient engagement in multiple ways
A right Platform to Spread your message
AI-enabled patient portals are the right platform for spreading the healthcare provider’s message. For example, a healthcare provider wants to send a message to the masses regarding some viral disease. Instead of using different media, he can use the patient portal to spread his message to the population.
Hence, patient portals are helpful in “Population health.”
Use chatbots
Some of the patients like an immediate response. Natural language processing enables chatbots to respond to queries immediately and accurately. Chatbots can guide patients about the processes with a level of empathy. In the past few years, there was no such concept in healthcare, but now patients require empathy and straight forward response. Now, AI builds algorithmic empathy on chatbots to improve patient engagement. Using chatbots instead of customer support representatives can save your time and resources.
Use EHR
Use Electronic health records to check the previous health history. Take the healthcare decision based on the past health record. Communication with patients also plays a crucial role in patient health outcomes. Creating health plans using machine learning will positively impact health outcomes. Use your content and on-time messaging to deliver the right information at the right time.
AI implementation and ethics
Although AI-enabled patient portals are a promising feature for patient engagement, the need for ethical implications never ends. In AI-driven diagnostics, transparency can be an issue. It is difficult for a patient “How an Algorithms diagnose their disease?” Patients feel it inhuman if they observe that the doctor is not diagnosing them. Patients are sensitive to their privacy. They trust healthcare providers for diagnosis. So, depending on AI communication or bots, a healthcare provider needs to participate in the decision-making. Human and AI resources, when joined together, can give the best result.
Healthcare decision-making is sensitive. Patients require personalized care from healthcare providers. The American Medical Association (journal of Ethics) advises practitioners to be conscious while implementing AI in their facilities. AI is a complementary help, not the replacement of a provider. It requires human skills to supervise and identify the maximum possible ethical problems.
In healthcare facilities, implementing AI is indefinable on a large scale. However, you must implement AI systems that regulatory authorities approve. You must use “unified with Electronic health records” AI solutions. Properly train your staff, including healthcare providers, about this technology. You require random and regular updates to keep your systems running smoothly.
Everything comes with benefits as well as constraints. AI is a tool that can play a vital in better patient engagement. Generally, AI is helpful for healthcare providers in diagnosis and healthcare outcomes. AI can act as a human assistant rather than a replacement. Healthcare providers can get support from technology in diagnosis, prescriptions, medical report analysis, etc.
