Ana, with her soothing and warm demeanor, is designed to help patients prepare for their appointments and answer any questions they might have. Unlike human nurses, Ana, an artificial intelligence (AI) program developed by Hippocratic AI, is available around the clock and can converse in multiple languages, from Hindi to Haitian Creole.
Hippocratic AI is part of a growing number of companies that are exploring ways to automate tasks traditionally performed by nurses and medical assistants. This is a clear indication of AI's increasing penetration into the healthcare sector. Hundreds of hospitals are now using advanced computer programs to monitor patients' vital signs, identify emergencies, and initiate step-by-step care plans. These were all tasks previously handled by nurses and other healthcare professionals.
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Hospitals claim that AI is enhancing the efficiency of their nurses while addressing issues of burnout and understaffing. However, nursing unions argue that this relatively unknown technology is undermining nurses' expertise and compromising patient care quality. "Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses," stated Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United. "The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers."
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Mahon's organization, the largest nursing union in the U.S., has organized over 20 demonstrations at hospitals nationwide, advocating for the right to influence how AI is used and protection from disciplinary action if they choose to ignore automated advice. The union's concerns were heightened in January when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the incoming health secretary, suggested that AI nurses "as good as any doctor" could help deliver care in rural areas. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the nominee to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, expressed his belief on Friday that AI could "liberate doctors and nurses from all the paperwork."
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According to The Associated Press, Hippocratic AI initially advertised its AI assistants at a rate of $9 an hour, compared to around $40 an hour for a registered nurse. The company has since removed that language, instead emphasizing its services and assuring customers that they have been thoroughly tested. The company declined requests for an interview.
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For years, hospitals have been experimenting with technology designed to improve care and reduce costs, including sensors, microphones, and motion-sensing cameras. This data is now being linked with electronic medical records and analyzed to predict medical problems and guide nurses' care, sometimes even before they've assessed the patient themselves.
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However, the reality of AI in healthcare often involves a barrage of false alarms, sometimes mistakenly flagging basic bodily functions, such as a patient having a bowel movement, as an emergency. "You're trying to focus on your work but then you're getting all these distracting alerts that may or may not mean something," said Melissa Beebe, a cancer nurse at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. "It's hard to even tell when it's accurate and when it's not because there are so many false alarms."
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Despite these challenges, some believe that completely disregarding AI would be unwise. Michelle Collins, dean of Loyola University’s College of Nursing, suggests that while AI may miss signs that nurses routinely pick up on, like facial expressions and odors, it can augment care. "We should embrace what it can do to augment our care, but we should also be careful it doesn't replace the human element," Collins said.
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The COVID-19 pandemic saw more than 100,000 nurses leave the workforce, the largest staffing drop in 40 years. As the U.S. population ages and nurses retire, the U.S. government estimates there will be over 190,000 new openings for nurses every year through 2032. Hospital administrators see AI playing a crucial role in this scenario, not by replacing care but by aiding nurses and doctors in gathering information and communicating with patients.
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AI developers, on the other hand, envision a larger role for their technology. Israeli startup Xoltar, for instance, is developing human-like avatars that conduct video calls with patients. The company is collaborating with the Mayo Clinic on an AI assistant that teaches patients cognitive techniques for managing chronic pain and is also developing an avatar to help smokers quit.
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While such programs may work for relatively healthy and proactive individuals, Roschelle Fritz of the University of California Davis School of Nursing points out that the majority of healthcare users in the U.S. are very sick. "Whether or not chatbots are positioned for those folks is something we really have to consider," Fritz said. As AI continues to make inroads into healthcare, striking a balance between technological efficiency and human touch remains a challenge.
