Primary Care Access Challenges
Tammy MacDonald, like many others, experienced difficulty securing a primary care physician in Massachusetts after her doctor's death. She encountered year-long waiting lists at multiple local practices, highlighting a significant primary care provider shortage. This scarcity is a national issue, particularly pronounced in Massachusetts, where the primary care workforce is diminishing more rapidly than in most other states.
AI-Supported Healthcare Solution
In response to this challenge, Mass General Brigham (MGB), a major hospital network, introduced Care Connect in September. This AI-supported telehealth program aims to bridge the gap in primary care access. Patients interact with an AI agent via an app, describing their symptoms. The AI then compiles a summary for a primary care doctor, who provides care through video appointments, often within a day or two.
Program Functionality and Scope
Care Connect operates 24/7 with 12 remotely located physicians. It is designed to address common urgent care needs, including colds, rashes, sprains, and mild to moderate mental health concerns, as well as issues related to chronic diseases. The AI tool assists by suggesting diagnoses and treatment plans to the doctors.
Broader Context of AI in Healthcare
Care Connect is part of a larger trend of integrating AI into various routine medical tasks, such as note-taking, reviewing diagnostic results, billing, and supply ordering. Proponents argue that AI can alleviate staff burnout and shortages by reducing administrative workloads. However, critics express concerns about AI potentially overlooking complex patient details, socio-economic factors, and the ability to afford or access follow-up care.
Patient and Provider Perspectives
MacDonald reported positive experiences with Care Connect, appreciating its convenience and quick appointment availability for managing her medications and follow-ups. MGB has committed $400 million over five years to primary care services, including the Care Connect initiative, and states it is not intended to replace in-person care.
However, some primary care doctors within MGB, including those involved in unionizing efforts, voice concerns. They suggest that the investment in AI should instead be directed towards increasing salaries and retaining primary care staff, fearing that Care Connect could inadvertently diminish access to in-person primary care over time. They characterize the AI solution as a temporary 'Band-Aid' rather than a fundamental fix.
Expansion and Expert Opinions
By February, MGB plans to extend Care Connect services to all insured residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, with additional doctors to be hired as needed. The program allows patients to use it for urgent care or to designate a remote doctor as their permanent primary care provider.
While Care Connect is not for emergencies or physical exams, its remote doctors manage routine issues like moderate respiratory infections, allergies, and chronic conditions such as diabetes and depression. Dr. Steven Lin of Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that, in its current state, such AI tools are safest for urgent care issues. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that the AI-generated chat summaries can enhance physician efficiency and that virtual options offer a practical way for patients to receive care when in-person options are scarce. K Health, the developer of the AI platform, cites studies supporting the program's effectiveness in delivering care for various ailments, including complex chronic conditions.