Most physicians see value in telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, but they are just beginning to embrace augmented intelligence, according to an American Medical Association survey.
A study by the American Medical Association found that physicians are increasingly using digital health tools and have expressed enthusiasm for using them more in the future.
Physicians are considering using some new technology, but only a small percentage are actually using augmented intelligence, according to an AMA survey.
The AMA surveyed 1,300 physicians in 2016, 2019 and 2022. In her six years, physicians have appreciated digital health tools and their ability to improve patient care.
More than nine in ten physicians (93%) say digital health tools can improve patient care by 2022, up from 86% in 2016. Increases were seen in primary care physicians and specialist physicians and were consistent across all age groups. Said.
Physicians are increasingly using digital tools to assist in remote patient care.
Not surprisingly, physician use of telemedicine has skyrocketed over the past six years. In 2022, 80% of doctors will be engaged in telemedicine, a significant increase from 2016, where only 14% of physicians were engaged in virtual consultations. Telemedicine has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and medical groups are pressuring Washington to extend telemedicine waivers.
Physicians are also increasingly adopting remote patient monitoring for patient care. Nearly one-third (30%) of physicians say they will be using remote patient monitoring in 2022, up from 12% in 2016. For remote patient monitoring, doctors and healthcare systems may use the device for diabetes and early intervention if needed.
AMA president Jack Resneck Jr. said in a statement that the survey shows doctors see the value of digital health tools.
Resneck said: “AMA research shows that physicians are valuing validated digital health tools that improve wellness while streamlining the technical and administrative burdens they face every day in healthcare.”
At the same time, Resneck said digital tools must be used to close the gaps in health care among disadvantaged groups. “These technologies also need to be designed and deployed in ways that promote health equity,” he said Resneck.
Despite encouraging findings about telehealth use, a federal report published earlier this year found that black, Hispanic, and Asian patients were less likely to use video telehealth services. rice field. Some health advocates warn that telemedicine services need to be improved so that people with visual impairments can easily access virtual health care.
According to the survey, physicians were most enthusiastic about telemedicine (57%) and remote patient monitoring (53%).
While only a few physicians are using augmented intelligence in their practice today, the survey found that more physicians plan to do so in the near future. Currently, doctors using augmented intelligence say she has less than 1 in 5 him, but nearly 2 in 5 she plans to use it within the next year.
Physicians will use an average of 3.8 digital tools by 2022, up from 2.2 in 2016, the study found.
Nearly 3 in 5 physicians say digital tools help improve patient care and reduce administrative burden on staff.
Surveys show that most physicians are confident in using digital tools to improve patient care. Last month, the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) released a report that said most physicians welcomed the use of digital tools to help manage their patients’ illnesses.
However, health systems must provide adequate training for physicians to effectively use digital health tools, Darryl Gibbings-Isaac, senior manager of Accenture’s Health Strategy Practice, told the HIMSS Forum in August. said in
“How can we make them work for patients if they don’t understand how to use them?” he said.
