Patients could ‘ask Alexa’ for hospital dates under pilot scheme
Patients could “ask Alexa” when their hospital appointment is and reschedule it if not convenient, under proposed pilot schemes.
Tech company BT is to test a new AI service that will allow patients to find out far more information about upcoming consultations, including the risks of their procedure and advice about their health condition.
Prof Sultan Mahmud, the company’s director of healthcare, said the system would allow patients to be far more involved in their own healthcare, asking questions of their doctor’s credentials and track records.
The company is in talks with NHS trusts about rolling out the technology, which would mean that patients could be sent a text message, allowing them to interact with their NHS provider more easily.
Under the system, which could be integrated with voice-activated systems such as Siri and Alexa, patients could check when their next appointment is, and ask to reschedule if it is not convenient.
The use of AI means that patients will also be asked for a wealth of information about their procedure and condition, and be able to check the skills of their surgeon.
Examine your own scans
BT said the types of information that would be made accessible could include a surgeon’s performance data, including mortality rates and revision rates for the type of procedure in question.
Advanced systems could even allow patients to examine their own scans, Prof Mahmud said.
He said the NHS currently made it far too difficult for patients to navigate the system.
“It is really hard to get the basic information that you need. If you were buying a service, all of the information related to that service is easily available; if you look at your banking app most of the information is there.”
He said NHS services that are supposed to help patients seeking information were “all over the shop” and unable to cope with demand.
Meanwhile, crucial information about procedures was held on leaflets that were frequently not given to patients, or if they were, liable to be misled.
BT is in talks with four trusts about rolling out its Patient Concierge tool, which it says would smooth the patient experience and reduce the number of patients who failed to turn up.
Unable to get through
Latest NHS data shows one in 13 hospital outpatient appointments are missed.
Experts say in many cases, patients fail to attend because they forget about their appointment slot, or attempt to reschedule but are unable to get through to a hospital department to let them know they could not make the original date.
Prof Mahmud, a former NHS manager, said AI could be used to improve the patient experience, by “sweeping up” a vast array of data that could be accessed by patients on demand.
He said: “We know that AI is very good at capturing broad, broad amounts of data, organising it and communicating it back.”
Under such systems, the NHS could send out a text message or email to those with booked appointments, sending them a link from which they could access information about their appointment, procedure, and condition.
Organisations deploying the system can ensure it is integrated with Siri or ask Alexa, meaning that patients could interrogate the information, or make changes to their appointment.
Prof Mahmud said: “Essentially, any system that you want to use, you can use your phone, your computer, you can even use it through using Siri or Alexa, and say ‘I’m going to see Dr Thompson next week for my procedure. What procedure is it?’ And find out more.”
Voice-assisted tech
The system is based on the questions the patient asks, using online portals or voice-assisted technology.
Patients could ask when their appointment is, and ask for it to be rescheduled, if the date they have been offered does not suit.
Prof Mahmud said: “It is a really efficient kind of appointment scheduling because it has 24/7 availability.”
BT is currently working on specific patient pathways, including orthopaedics, lung and chest procedures and cancer.
The firm is currently in talks with four NHS trusts about rolling out the technology.
It has also developed platforms to help the NHS make use of AI to diagnose patients.
Many trusts have begun introducing use of AI for diagnostics, each of which has its own algorithm and software applications.
