Properly integrated, AI can fill a void and perform a valuable public service. Health care is a place where this is happening. A burgeoning older population and a nationwide doctor shortage has opened the door to new technologies to make sure people have access to expert and timely care. Imagine no more crowded waiting rooms and difficulty getting timely appointments.

Thanks to AI driven software and hardware developments companies like Doctor On Demand allow patients to access and have quality facetime with a doctor in a matter of minutes on their phone or home computer. They even issue prescriptions that can be sent to the patient’s neighborhood pharmacy. Doctor On Demand, the nation’s leading virtual care provider, has surpassed one million video visits, and is projected to surpass two million video visits by summer 2019. It’s a game-changer for health care in America.

Doctor On Demand has also recently announced that it was partnering with LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics to offer lab testing services. If a doctor sees a patient over video chat and decides they need lab work, the doctor (in consultation with the patient’s preferences) can direct the patient to a nearby lab for testing. Doctor On Demand’s virtual platform seamlessly integrates with health plans to facilitate care coordination and record sharing. The company is uniquely suited to cover a wide range of clinical needs, including urgent care, mental health services and chronic care management, reducing the need for higher-cost in-person visits.

In Time Magazine’s “Are Digital Doctors the Future?” by Alexandra Sifferlin, the author interviewed Hill Ferguson, the CEO of Doctor On Demand who explained that his company is empowering patients and providing a true public service. “We are providing a lot of transparency and putting the patient in control of where they go to get that lab,” said “It’s very different from the current experience and being told by your provider you need to go here at this time.”

Catherine Thorbecke of ABC News shines a light on the added benefits to health care workers of AI driven patient care. “Some medical professionals say that the rise of virtual health care options can also help alleviate the strain on those working at hospitals that are experiencing overcrowding during flu season.” Thorbecke also quoted Stephanie Patten, a registered nurse with the California Nurses Association, about the state of overcrowding at medical facilities. “People are definitely working over, doing double shifts, coming in extra days. There’s definitely staffing issues throughout the hospital, especially with as full as we have been.” A program like Doctor On Demand seeks to address this overcrowding. “Because [of a] bad flu season, we have seen a 100 percent increase in volume,” Dr. Ian Tong, the chief medical officer at Doctor On Demand, told ABC News. “About one in five of our cases are flu-related cases or cold-related cases, so we end up giving a prescription with Tamiflu.”

Now, magnify a flu outbreak and introduce the chaos that is caused by a natural disaster. Doctor On Demand extended support to all those affected by Hurricane Florence by providing its medical services to anyone in the affected regions at no cost. Focusing on patients first and aiming to be where they are when they need it, Doctor On Demand has already played a critical role in caring for patients impacted by natural disasters for a number of years. Providing over 2,000 covered visits during Hurricane Harvey and Irma, as well as aiding victims from Hurricane Matthew and the California wildfires, Doctor On Demand offered patients immediate access to medical services that were inaccessible due to road closures, flooding and office closures. Not only does Doctor On Demand provide services at no cost during emergencies, the practice also increases their physician coverage, as well as works with local employers and providers to mobilize its efforts.

“During situations such as Hurricane Florence, this becomes even more important as telemedicine may be one of the only safe ways for residents to get the medical attention they need not only during, but also following a storm,” said Tong. “We want to ensure that people know that no matter where they are during these events, we are providing them with the access to the care they need, without the worry of costs and health care coverage.”

Doctor On Demand physicians treat infections, skin and eye issues, sprains and bruises, back pain, vomiting and diarrhea, colds, coughs, and congestion, and 90 percent of the most common medical issues seen in the ER and urgent care. The company’s physicians are also trained to treat stress, anxiety, grief and depression.

Coming full circle, it’s worth noting that none of this would be possible without AI and the applications it drives and controls. AI is a powerful tool, but it’s up to humans to master it and not let it become our master. •

Sources for main article and sidebars: “Robot-Proof,” Northeastern University president Joseph Aoun; “Inside Digital Learning: Pushing the Boundaries of Learning with AI” by Lindsay McKenzie; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; GlobeNewswire, Inc; The Learning House; Time Magazine; ABC NEWS; Doctor On Demand --www.doctorondemand.com; University Business; Sonic Foundry, Inc.; “Can AI Help Students--and Colleges--Determine the Best Fit?” by Tina Nazerian, EdSurge

AI AT ITS BEST

The Mandarin Project

While there are many reasons to question some aspects of AI on campus, there are some applications that are unquestionably positive and show the potential of properly applied AI initiatives.

At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, The Mandarin Project is at the forefront of advanced research in Cognitive and Immersive Classrooms for Cyber-Enabled Language Learning. It leverages speech-based dialogue for communication and information exchange in Mandarin between students and agents in an environment where students are engaged in task-oriented group activities with communications and other social practices. Students are immersed in Chinese culture without leaving their classroom in upstate New York. Instead, they are in a classroom with a surround screen of 360 degrees that extends from the floor to the ceiling where recreations of restaurants, shops and offices submerge students into situations where they can practice Mandarin with AI animated characters.

Hui Su, director of the Mandarin Project says, “The future cognitive and immersive Situations Room is a new type of integrated immersive cognitive system that will augment group intelligence in the context of business, government and personal life. It represents a new paradigm of group-computer relationship, transforming the way humans live and work.” •