AI in healthcare can help patient engagement

A recent article in The Commonwealth Fund blog, "Envisioning a Digital Health Advisor," raises the question of being able to use smartphone apps to get real-time, accurate and personalized guidance for health concerns. While one can envision the convenience, affordability and peace of mind that would result from their use, such services face a number of hurdles before they become reality. As a result, the "digital revolution" has not yet greatly affected most people's interactions with the health care system. These challenges fall into two main categories: fiscal/policy and technology. In a fee-for-service environment, the only way that healthcare practitioners get paid is to have face-to-face encounters with patients.