How Video Calling Platform Zoom Is Putting AI in Healthcare
Telehealth has become an integral part of modern healthcare, with the pandemic accelerating its adoption.
A post-pandemic survey by the US Library of Medicine revealed that 65% of respondents showed high acceptance of telehealth services.
However, one aspect that has lagged behind is the quality of aftercare guidance and discharge notes that patients can easily understand and implement. But a partnership between Zoom and an AI voice assistant Suki could change that.
By integrating AI into its platform, the world's most popular video conferencing platform, is poised to revolutionise this aspect of telehealth.
AI-powered clinical documentation
Zoom’s partnership with Suki, an AI-powered voice assistant for healthcare, aims to streamline administrative tasks associated with telehealth appointments, potentially addressing a critical gap in patient care and communication.
With plans to integrate Suki's AI and speech platform, Suki Platform, into its telehealth service, Zoom will enable the generation of clinical notes and documentation following a call between clinician and patient.
“With over almost 140,000 healthcare institutions globally using the Zoom platform, we feel a great responsibility to leverage the power of AI to drive employee productivity and enhance patient experiences," says Smita Hashim, Chief Product Officer at Zoom.
“Working together with Suki to provide critical AI-generated clinical note functionality to Zoom Workplace for Clinicians will reduce documentation overhead for clinicians, allowing them to focus on patients," she continues.
This synergy stands to transform the way healthcare professionals manage patient information by reducing the documentation burden on clinicians, allowing them to focus more on patient care.
This is particularly significant given that 62% of healthcare providers report documentation as a leading cause of burnout, according to a June survey from Athenahealth.
This partnership also stands to address a significant issue in healthcare: patient understanding of discharge instructions.
Research has shown that patients who lack sufficient information about their discharge plans often experience decreased treatment compliance, reduced patient safety, increased emergency department recidivism, and poor satisfaction.
Beyond telehealth
Interestingly, Suki's documentation support is not limited to Zoom telehealth visits. The technology can also be utilised during in-person consultations, potentially reducing overall note-taking time of clinicians and increasing direct patient interaction.
"AI is changing the way we interact with the world. Everything from how we communicate to how we use technology to how care is delivered will evolve. Video will be a critical interface in the AI-driven world,” says Punit Soni, Founder and CEO of Suki.
This collaboration between Zoom and Suki represents a significant step forward in the evolution of telehealth. By harnessing the power of AI to generate patient notes from telehealth appointments, Zoom is not only enhancing its own platform but potentially setting a new standard for telehealth services.
“We are thrilled to work with Zoom to develop new interaction models and AI that will advance our mission of making health care technology invisible and assistive so clinicians can focus on what’s most important: their patients,” Punit concludes.
Leveraging technology to enhance every aspect of the healthcare journey, from the initial consultation to the final discharge instructions, the Zoom-Suki partnership may well be a glimpse into just how deep AI can be integrated into various elements of the future of healthcare.
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