Doctors Take the Mic

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) can provide substantial improvements in all areas of healthcare from diagnostics to treatment.

o AI tools will facilitate and enhance human work and not replace the work of physicians and other healthcare staff.

o AI is ready to support healthcare personnel with a variety of tasks from administrative workflow to clinical documentation and patient outreach as well as specialized support including image analysis, medical device automation, and patient monitoring

o The benefits of AI can be accessed from your smartphones

Recent health-tracking apps and search platforms include ChatGPT and EyeQuix. Such services are increasingly relevant for underserved regions and places lacking specialists and help reduce costs and prevent unnecessary exposure to contagious illnesses at a given healthcare facility.

What is AI's role in the reduction of healthcare costs in the US?

§ It is estimated that AI applications can cut annual US healthcare costs by USD 150 billion in 2026

§ A large part of these cost reductions stem from changing the healthcare model from a reactive to a proactive approach, focusing on health management rather than disease treatment

While the concept of AI in healthcare is clear, we still need substantial independent verifications (review, analysis, and testing) to prove patient safety and efficacy.

Blockchain is a way to have secure patient data within healthcare systems. While Blockchain technology was created in 2008 for financial systems, eg Bitcoin. Its use in healthcare is now taking shape.

Blockchain is useful for healthcare because it is unalterable, decentralized and transparent log of all patient data. It is only transparent to the owner of the"private key" and that owner can decide what will be shown to others with a "public key."

Blockchain healthcare companies such as Akiri is located in Foster City, California and it operates as a network-as-a-service specifically for the medical sector. Its mission is to protect patient data. Its partner is the American Medical Association.

Avaneer Health is located in Chicago, Illinois and its partners are Aetna, Anthem and Cleveland Clinic. It is in the business of protecting health records as well.

This is an interesting technology space.

The millenials are talking about FIRE which is the acronym for "financial independence retire early." However physicians do not graduate medical school and finish their training until age 30 so we are already 8 years behind our colleagues in business or real estate or law. How do we catch up?

First off, many physicians are employed by large networks with healthy retirement packages and they do not have to worry. Other physicians started with stocks and bonds in their twenties and thirties. Yet others buy their own home and then start investing in real estate for their offices or surgical centers. What about physicians who have a pension plan but want more so that they can retire early?

Most physicians have access to financial planners and some start dabbling in real estate in their 50's and 60's and catch up. Some do options and some do cryptocurrency. Success and disaster stories exist so buyer beware. Do call a certified financial planner if you have questions. This podcast raises the questions for all of us who are physicians.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the United States. A skipped heartbeat is not so uncommon, but if you have shortness of breath or fainting or loss of consciousness, see a doctor right away, preferably a cardiologist.

Wearable devices such as the Apple Watch or Kardia or other wearable devices can detect a skipped heart beat. The Apple watch study changed the way cardiologists view wearable devices. That study published in 2019 had 419,000 participants with 40.1% with non-atrial fibrillation heart arrhythmias!

This showed that wearable devices play a role in heart health.

Atrial fibrillation is an important cause of stroke and heart attacks. It is important to see your physician if you feel a skipped heart beat. Don't ignore your body's signals.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first over-the-counter (OTC) at-home diagnostic test for influenza A and B, commonly known as the flu, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Home Test is a single-use at-home test kit that provides results from self-collected nasal swab samples in roughly 30 minutes.

The Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Home Test is a single use test and can be purchased without a prescription and performed completely at-home using nasal swab samples. Self collection can be done by people ages 14 and older. For people 2 years to age 13 years, an adult can help with the test.

The test works by swirling the sample swab in a vial that is placed in the test unit. In 30 minutes or less, the test unit will display the results that show whether a person is positive or negative for each of the following: Influenza A, Influenza B and COVID-19. Individuals should report all results obtained to their doctor or healthcare team.

In patients with symptoms, the Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Home Test correctly identified 99.3% of negative Influenza A samples and 90.1% of positive Influenza A samples. It identified 100% of negative and 88.3% of positive COVID-19 samples and 99.9% of negative Influenza B samples. The Emergency Use Authorization Act (EUA) requires Lucira to continue to collect samples to study the test's ability to detect Influenza B in real-world settings.

Individuals who test positive for either flu or COVID-19 should take appropriate precautions to avoid spreading the virus and should seek follow-up care with their physician. Additional testing may be necessary.

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