The way patients access medical care has changed little since the emergence of shamans, traditional healers, and even physicians. When most patients visit their doctors, it is one doctor and one patient talking to each other. Surveys find that patients tend to forget to ask about half of the questions they intended to ask. They also forget much of what their doctor tells them. Moreover, because of their extensive training, doctors are a scarce resource. The American Medical Association projects that a physician shortage (that the AMA had a hand in causing) could approach 124,000 doctors in just under a decade. Increasingly, seeing a physician one-on-one is unnecessary. It is also inefficient and inconvenient.
Telephones have been around for nearly 150 years but only recently have doctors begun treating patients that way. Basic telemedicine removes some of the inconvenience of physician visits, but it still requires a doctor and patient on the phone at the same time. That system is known as synchronous communication. A more recent occurrence is web-based cursory consultations for specific conditions, such as men’s health. For example, patients fill out a form online and a doctor approves a prescription for generic Viagra, which arrives a few days later by mail. A website consultation like the one above is asynchronous communication. Doctor and patient does not have to be present at the same time to have a consultation. An algorithm can streamline the process, with a physician only having to spend 30 seconds to approve/deny a mail order prescription.
The Wall Street Journal reports that more Americans are turning to AI chatbots, and OTC medical tests to diagnose and treat themselves, or at least monitor their own health. Surveys going back more than 25 years found that about 100 million Americans a year turn to the Internet for health information. A few minutes on the Internet can teach patients more about their health condition than their doctor would have time to explain. AI has made perusing the Internet for health information even easier. WSJ had this to say:
Healthcare is fast becoming a do-it-yourself project for patients.
People increasingly turn to do-it-yourself healthcare amid long waits for medical appointments and a rise in self-care options.
With a shortage of doctors, long wait times for appointments and an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes earlier in adulthood, patients are taking a more active role in managing their own health.
WSJ also discussed the potential for AI medical chatbots to assist both doctors and patients in managing chronic conditions.
Some patient advocates and medical experts predict AI chatbots will evolve into more sophisticated healthcare agents, coaching behavior, organizing data and even working with clinicians to monitor patients.
Patients can order their own lab tests in most states. Quest Diagnostics sells tests directly on its website. I get lab testing through Walk-in Lab, which is affiliated with both Quest Diagnostics (a mile away inside Walmart) and Lab Corp (two miles away next to my local Kroger). WSJ also discussed wearable medical devices that connect to an iPhone, and health apps for Apple Watches that track health metrics, including blood pressure, heart rates, sleep patterns, among other things.
It is not just a shortage of doctors and longer waits for appointments that drive patients to self-care. Many people want more control over their medical care. People want the convenience and the ability to access care in the comfort of their own homes in between doctor visits, or instead of doctor visits.
…Dr. Tom Delbanco, a professor at Harvard Medical School whose focus is primary care… sees significant benefits. “The evidence shows that the more a patient gets involved in their own care, the better the outcomes,” he says. “In the future, primary-care doctors could act more as expert consultants rather than paternalistic bosses to patients.”
At its core, the doctor/patient relationship is an information exchange. Increasingly, consumers have access to health information through online medical resources and AI health chatbots. What remains to be seen is whether the regulatory environment will make do-it-yourself health care easier or if the industry will dig in its heels and try to protect the status quo. Years ago, the Texas Medical Board (TMB) tried to close down TelaDoc to protect brick & mortar clinics from competition. A few other states did too. Had these efforts been successful numerous web-based care platforms would not exist. Doctors needs to be partners in an expanding patient care environment rather than gatekeepers to care.
Read more at WSJ: AI Chatbots, Home Medical Tests and Tech Advances Fuel Do-It-Yourself Healthcare