The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Telehealth: A New Era of Healthcare Delivery

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various sectors, and healthcare is no exception. A paper published in 2019 by the IMIA Telehealth Working Group explores the potential of AI in the telehealth domain. The group, comprising over 30 members worldwide, including clinicians, telehealth experts, data scientists, entrepreneurs, promoters, and researchers, provides a comprehensive overview of the current and future applications of AI in telehealth.

Telehealth, the use of information and communication technologies to transfer medical information for the delivery of clinical and educational services, is a rapidly growing field. It aims to overcome the challenges of health service delivery due to time, distance, and difficult terrains, enabling cost-effectiveness and better access in both developed and developing world settings. Telehealth is particularly crucial during emergencies like earthquakes and floods and is increasingly needed due to the rising incidence of chronic diseases and longer lifespans.

The paper identifies two primary areas where AI can significantly impact telehealth: quality improvement for existing clinical practice and service delivery, and the development and support of new models of care.

AI and Quality Improvement

The exponential increase in health-related digital data has led to the movement towards universal electronic health record systems. The availability of large data sets combined with the rapid evolution of computational data science, including AI-based machine learning methods, offers promising opportunities for extracting new inferences and actionable insights that have the potential to improve health outcomes significantly.

One example of this is in the area of clinical assessment and evaluation. AI can make history taking easier by providing prompts to the process and clues to the diagnosis, and also asking the right next set of questions based on the answer, saving the clinician time.

Another example is in the area of tele-diagnosis of clinical conditions. AI is making a significant impact on the way doctors could diagnose a potential disease. For instance, a computer algorithm using convolutional neural networks outperformed the majority of dermatologists tested in accurately diagnosing melanoma.

AI and New Models of Care

With the significant increase in the burden of chronic diseases and a growing base of aging populations with multiple morbidities, the existing models of healthcare delivery are overstressed and unsustainable. Telehealth offers promising alternatives to utilize ICT optimally for remote healthcare diagnosis, monitoring, and delivery of care.

One example of this is the development of conversational agents and virtual assistants. Automated conversational interactions offer many opportunities across the care spectrum to augment and in some cases replace human carer tasks.

Another example is remote patient monitoring and management. AI systems for tele-monitoring depend on and also expand the scope of other health system ICT components. They can potentially outperform humans in many ways, consistently executing their instructions in a mathematical fashion, with a fundamental reliance on inbuilt logic moderated by statistical evidence extracted by machine learning methods from large-scale datasets.

Social and Ethical Considerations

While AI offers much potential for enhancing care delivery through telehealth tools, it is also important to consider the social and ethical aspects of using it. AI, like other technological advances in healthcare, will cause disruption to many aspects of healthcare delivery including workflows, communication, access to services, and the engagement between different providers and patients.

The paper offers four key social and ethical considerations for enabling AI-enabled telehealth: ensuring equity, maintaining privacy and confidentiality, developing trust, and managing change.

In conclusion, the role of AI in telehealth is promising and has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. However, it is crucial to consider the social and ethical implications to ensure that the benefits of this technology are realized without compromising on the quality of care and the rights of patients. This article was written in 2019 well after the introduction of OpenAI 3.0. To illustrate how far medicine has already come using AI and telemedicine, innovators in Australia are reviewing the data from the use of a virtual hospital during Covid. I’ll review that paper next.

To read the entire article paste this url into your browser: https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/s-0039-1677897.pdf

A Scientific paper from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health October 19(20), 2022 Paul Jezewski et al

Introduction

Telehealth has emerged as a vital tool in providing healthcare services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, older adults, particularly those from low-income and minority communities, face barriers in accessing and utilizing telehealth services. In this blog post, we will explore a study titled "Targeted Telehealth Education Increases Interest in Using Telehealth among a Diverse Group of Low-Income Older Adults," published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) journal. The study examines the impact of targeted telehealth education on improving knowledge and interest in telehealth among vulnerable older adults. Let's delve into the key findings and implications of this study.

Understanding the Barriers

Homebound older adults, especially those with limited social support, face challenges in accessing healthcare services. This often leads to increased emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher healthcare costs. The Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWV) have been instrumental in improving access to preventive services, but disparities still exist among different racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, limited mobility, lack of technological literacy, and financial constraints further hinder older adults from accessing health promotion activities and preventive services.

The Potential of Telehealth

Telehealth has the potential to bridge these gaps and empower older adults to take control of their healthcare from the comfort of their homes. The study recognizes telehealth as a means of increasing health promotion and preventive care services among vulnerable populations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Medicare system allowed for telehealth delivery of AWVs, which presented an opportunity to explore the effectiveness of telehealth education in improving its utilization.

Targeted Telehealth Education

The study targeted low-income older adults, particularly from minority communities, residing in independent living facilities, low-income housing, and Native American coalition. The participants received written educational materials, and a subset attended a 20-minute presentation. Pre- and post-surveys were conducted to assess the impact of the education program.

Key Findings and Implications

The results of the study revealed a significant increase in telehealth understanding and interest among the participants. At baseline, only 36% of the participants were familiar with telehealth, but after the education program, 70% reported understanding how to access telehealth. Furthermore, 39% of the participants expressed their willingness to use telehealth in the future.

Interestingly, the study found that "in-person" learners had a higher likelihood of using telehealth compared to "at-home" learners. Divorced older adults and Black participants showed greater interest in using telehealth than their married/widowed and White counterparts, respectively. This highlights the importance of tailoring telehealth education to meet the specific needs of different populations.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that targeted telehealth education can significantly improve knowledge and interest in telehealth among low-income older adults. By providing educational materials and presentations, participants gained confidence in accessing telehealth and expressed their willingness to use it in the future. Addressing the barriers faced by vulnerable populations, such as limited mobility, technological literacy, and financial constraints, is crucial in promoting the use of telehealth.

Moving forward, it is essential to develop comprehensive telehealth education programs that cater to the specific needs of different populations. By increasing telehealth literacy, addressing concerns, and ensuring equitable access, we can empower low-income older adults to take control of their healthcare and improve their overall well-being. Telehealth has the potential to bridge the gaps in healthcare services, enhance preventive care, and contribute to the better health outcomes of older adults in vulnerable communities.

To read this full research paper paste this url into your browser: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/20/13349