As the world records more than 2 million cases of the coronavirus, it is still unclear what factors instigate mild cases in some patients and chronic cases in others. What we do know is that comorbidities play a key role in determining whether one might live or die and that the aging population is particularly at risk.
The world’s population over the age of 65 has been climbing. Globally, this aging population already outnumbers children under five. In the United States, this population is expected to surpass the number of children under 18 by 2034, resulting in 77 million seniors versus 76.5 children.
We owe this longevity to modern medicine, which has made it easier for populations to age into triple digits, but it also means that the healthcare system is and will continue to face greater challenges. Examples of aging-associated diseases include arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, dementia, COPD and many others. Unfortunately, they also occur in combination, further exacerbating suffering and the additional burdens on the delivery of care.
The unprecedented volume of age-related diseases will result in ever more complex care plans that involve the management of multiple diseases within the resource-constrained patient home, which increasingly becomes a place of care. Consequences of falling off care plans are not only increased pain and suffering but also an overbearing strain on ambulatory care efforts, multiple hospital admissions and their related high costs.
Overwhelming challenges
Unfortunately, health facilities would be overburdened by the task of assisting 77 million patients in complying with their care plans. The above disease states and related risk factors require an ever-increasing number of touchpoints among providers, patients, relevant family members and caregivers.
These challenges have worsened in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in overwhelmed hospitals as millions of Americans shelter in place. These challenges are not easily met with a workforce that’s 100% human, but they can be overcome with a hybrid human-AI combination. This can be achieved by utilizing applications residing within the AI Asset Ecosystem – Conversational Computing, Robotic Process Automation and Machine Learning.
Conversational AI has now become advanced enough and powerful enough to assist the public in identifying potential risk indicators for COVID-19. More than a FAQ page with a series of links and generic information, AI offers an interactive solution that screens for COVID-19 symptoms, providing invaluable information about the virus. The information is based on details recommended by the CDC, providing reliability and credibility to the toolset.
This has the potential to greatly reduce the burden placed on hospitals, clinics and physician offices, as well as healthcare system call centers. It also allows people to remain in place and avoid going to the nearest healthcare facility unless absolutely necessary.
Serving the greater good
When the current crisis is over, AI will still have great importance within the field of healthcare. But in order for any touchpoint to be effective, it requires conversational interactions between all relevant parties. In addition to being conversational, each interaction must be multilingual, culturally relevant, and linguistically relevant to non-university-based educational levels in order to reference prior conservations intelligently.
These touchpoints are required because of the need to offload the conversational burden. As a result, human healthcare workers will be empowered to spend more time in direct patient care, solving complex problems and engaging in richer, more personal conversations with patients.
It is apparent that these multiple conversational touchpoints can be of short, moderate, or long duration and of various levels of complexity. Recognizing the overall objective of these multiple conversational touchpoints is to assist patients in care plan compliance and migration. With a 24/7 partner in care, patients are more likely to be shifted away from patterns of behavior that are detrimental to their disease states (tobacco use, poor eating habits, lack of sufficient exercise, overindulgence in alcohol, noncompliance with medication instructions). This is where the utilization of the nudge theory can be beneficial.
All-important reminders
Under the nudge theory, which was made famous by Nobel Laureates Richard Thaler and Daniel Kahneman, subtle influences have proven to be a more successful form of motivation than actually giving people formal instructions. The nudge theory is carried out through frequent communications and engagement – nudges if you will – leading to better results. Since there aren’t enough healthcare professionals to nudge patients down the right path, this task could be accomplished by delegating some of the nudging to a conversational AI-powered assistant.
Conversational virtual assistants can provide the always-on support patients need. They provide access to personalized information that allows many patients to self-care from home under the remote supervision of a doctor or caregiver. For example, they can assist a patient in ordering prescriptions, remind them how to use routine healthcare devices (such as an inhaler), and provide proactive reminders to take medication.
A conversational AI workforce provides a highly valuable addition to the existing ambulatory healthcare delivery team attempting to assist patients in following their care plans and gradually changing adverse patterns of behavior.
Conversational AI is needed now more than ever
With rising healthcare costs in the U.S., an impending employment shortage and the ongoing pandemic, demand for healthcare workers is expected to outpace supply by 2025. By taking advantage of advances in technology, particularly conversational computing assistants, it will be possible to address the increasing demand for labor via the continual decentralization of healthcare delivery away from hospitals to the home.
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