AI-enhanced virtual care could reduce ER visits

Artificial intelligence could be key to driving down emergency room visits over the next five years, according to one research company's crystal ball. By 2023, enrollment of chronically ill patients in AI-enhanced virtual care will result in 20 million fewer ER visits, according to a prediction by Connecticut-based research company Gartner, which recently released its "Top Strategic Predictions for 2019 and Beyond" report. The report examined three fundamental effects of continued digital innovation: AI and skills, cultural advancement, and processes becoming products. The prediction underscores the growing prominence of virtual care, which may be cheaper than face-to-face encounters and also help reduce pressures from clinical shortages, according to Gartner. "For patients with chronic illnesses in rural areas, clinician shortages can present a real health challenge. A flare-up or health issue might mean a trip to the emergency room, which is costly for the patient and the hospital," the report reads.