Health On Autopilot

Snippets from my keynote “Sharing secrets with AI. Your health in the future” delivered at the conference “Communication as a way of (re)building trust in healthcare” (1-2 June 2023, Zagreb).

We are dealing with socio-technological evolution

I still remember when I was a teenager and spontaneous meetings were ordinary. Today, when someone knocks on the door, we are afraid to open it. Or do you remember the phone booths? They have become a symbol of the past in just a few years.

The culture and people are changing in the digital age. Teenagers spend more and more time with their smartphones and less and less time with their friends. Twice more than 30 years ago—according to the latest studies.

We communicate very differently than we did 10-15 years ago. For example, generation Z uses tools like TikTok or Instagram, which seems pretty odd to older people.

We are always online and online channels have dominated communication. It started with e-mails, evolved to SMS, and now social media is where we chat and stay in touch. We are asking Google instead of a friend and slowly asking ChatGPT instead of asking Google or maybe even a doctor.

This transformation is about unlimited access to medical knowledge, which has been the domain of doctors for centuries.

Every day, 1 billion health-related searches are submitted to Google. It’s the most popular AI-driven doctor, available day and night, and answers 70,000 questions per minute about skin rashes, the best medicines, kidney stones, or natural remedies for flu symptoms.

And it doesn’t matter if the answers are correct. Mostly they are incorrect because Google algorithms prioritize the most popular websites, not the most accurate ones. But people still use Google because it’s always available, always ready to answer.

And it’s neither good nor bad. Evolution and change are a constant part of our lives.

This is just the start of the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) healthcare. I also call it the IKEA-ization of healthcare: The individual gets a toolbox full of digital devices to maintain health. Health is not anymore created by a doctor but by the patient and the doctor.

Every technology transforms the way a doctor communicates with a patient

Since the stethoscope was invented over 200 years ago, doctors don’t have to place their ears on the patient’s chest. The first reactions were mixed, but did the stethoscope dehumanize medicine? I don’t think so—quite the opposite. Patients want to be sure that they get the best possible care.

What’s the next step in the evolution of care?

For example, a digital stethoscope. Patients can make the measurements at home and send the results to the doctor or telemedicine center. And only when things go wrong is an on-site visit necessary. This is such a relief for parents with a sick child having a fever in the middle of the night when all doctor’s offices are closed.

Or imagine virtual reality technology which enables patients to see their sick organs. Doctors no longer have to explain – they can show what’s wrong with the heart or liver. And the patients are really impressed – so much so that they are more motivated to change their lifestyle or stick to medication plans.

We’ve seen how telemedicine saved thousands of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic when patients were locked in their houses and couldn’t see their doctors. According to RockHealth, telemedicine has become even more popular than on-site visits for prescription refills—when a patient needs a drug for a chronic disease.

The future is faster than you think, and innovations are like small waves that cumulate into a giant storm.  

Tech innovations are not magic but can help if we apply them smartly

I remember many voices about the dehumanization of medicine in the era of new technologies. And during many debates, I’m still asked if we are not heading to dystopian techno-care.

So in return, I like to ask: is the medicine we have now human? Medicine with overburdened doctors, long waiting times, inefficient, and not always evidence-based care. A medicine that is organ-oriented, not patient-oriented; reimbursement-driven instead of outcomes-driven.

There are still many barriers to technology deployment in healthcare: money, mindset, legislation, time, and culture. But the worst thing is to accept the healthcare system as it is now. We all know it’s broken and must be fixed—the status quo will cost thousands of lives.

But remember one more thing. It’s not enough to just add AI to the existing workflows. AI isn’t magic. If you do so, you will get a little fancier workflow but the same inefficient. Instead, adopting AI requires rethinking old workflows. Then, when it’s done, new digital workflows can be optimized using AI.

Don’t believe technocrats that say innovation is a quick fix. For example, an app that aims to help individuals communicate with doctors may become another barrier for some people—those without access to tech or required skills. Likewise, healthcare won’t bring benefits at all if the technology applied isn’t inclusive and fairly distributed.

And remember: you don’t have to be a data scientist, digital native, or AI guru. However, there is one skill you need: it is curiosity and willingness to learn.

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Above all, I’m a journalist. But occasionally, I’m also a keynote speaker.

I speak about transformation in health, digital health, AI, and the latest innovations in medicine. Each presentation is customized according to the audience’s expectations (on a scale from “inspiring trends” to “practical tips”). I experiment with technologies on stage, show unknown fun facts, and provide knowledge to inspire and inform the participants. Interested? Click here to contact me.