How AI is Flipping the Script of Traditional Chronic Disease Management
- Softude
- October 22, 2024
Chronic diseases pose a significant challenge for both patients and healthcare providers. 90% of their money goes into managing chronic conditions throughout their life. Even after so much spending, deaths from diabetes and heart disease are increasing each year. In the report “Finding fixes for chronic disease,” McKinsey has disclosed the bitter truth- over 80% deaths by 2030. Though the figures are terrifying, chronic disease management through AI can improve the situation.
Before discussing how AI-powered tools are bringing that change, let’s understand why managing chronic conditions is so tough. Constant monitoring, juggling medications, and ensuring patients stick to their treatment plans are challenges healthcare providers face daily. And let’s not forget the paperwork and data tracking.
All this makes things exhausting, raising the fear of missing something through the cracks. The challenge occurs in the approach to patient care. Doctors intervene during a medical emergency, delaying what could have been done to save the patients.
The AI-Powered Shift in Chronic Disease Management
Instead of constantly reacting to patient emergencies, what if you learned about them before they happened? Imagine having a system that warns you in real-time when the patient’s blood sugar level or heartbeat is about to cross the safe threshold.
Controlling the situations will be easier with real-time insights. That’s only one way AI helps. AI-powered chronic disease management tools help in every aspect.
1. Remote Monitoring—No More “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
It is tough to be with your patients 24/7, but AI can. Like a human nurse, AI systems can continuously track a patient's vital signs through wearable AI, apps, and other devices. They give you a live view of their condition without repetitive check-ins.
2. Predictive Analytics—Because You Deserve a Heads-Up
The hardest part about chronic disease management? You never know when things will take a turn for the worse. The good part is that all the information lies in the data. AI systems can read patterns in your patients' data, which otherwise requires a lot of your time.
Even if you have enough time to track those patterns, by the time you discover their meaning, things might get worse. AI systems are fast at finding those patterns and giving warnings, turning your approach from reactive to proactive.
Predictive analytics help not only patients already diagnosed with chronic disease. It also helps in the early onset of diabetes or heart disease in new patients.
3. Personalized Care Plans—Finally, Tailored to Each Patient
No two patients with diabetes can show the same improvements even if given the same medicines. Their lifestyle, diet, and genes decide how certain medications affect them.
Therefore, cookie-cutter patient care doesn’t work in healthcare.
Genomics AI helps understand the complexities of DNA. This knowledge further helps in finding the right drugs. AI also helps in prescribing the right treatments to each patient based on their medical and lifestyle conditions.
How AI Takes the Weight Off Your Shoulders
The above features of AI chronic disease management software are impressive. But what’s in it for you?
1. Less Burnout
Endless paperwork, patient follow-ups, and data tracking cause burnout. AI helps reduce the load by automating tasks like scheduling and updating care plans. This frees up your time from repetitive tasks, reducing burnout and providing care, not chasing down data.
2. Smarter Use of Resources
AI does not simply collect data and work on it; it makes smart use of it. By categorizing patients according to their risk level, AI helps you allocate your resources smartly. That means no more guesswork about who needs immediate attention and who can wait. Just focus your energy on the patients while everyone still gets the care they deserve.
3. Better Decisions in Less Time
Let’s be honest: patient data is a huge ocean. It feels like chasing a wild goose without knowing what’s lying ahead.
AI helps you see through the data and gives you a clear, big-picture view. These evidence-based insights help you make faster, more informed decisions you and your patients can trust.
AI in Disease Management is a Win-Win for Patients Too
Healthcare providers alone are not the beneficiaries of AI. Patients get an equal share.
1. Fewer Emergencies
Knowing they are under expert supervision, even at home, patients feel less stressed. The real-time monitoring also gives them the satisfaction of being less likely to end up in the ER. Fewer emergencies mean fewer visits to hospitals and expense on expensive treatments.
2. More Engaged Patients
Chronic disease management is not a one-way route. It requires equal participation of the patients and their loved ones. However, very few patients are aware of their conditions and know how to manage them.
AI-powered apps are making them more involved with reminders, progress tracking, and 24x7 consultations. Patients can stay on top of their meds, appointments, and lifestyle changes. They gain confidence in managing their chronic conditions independently without you constantly following up.
3. Fewer Costs, More Value
Let’s not forget the financial burden of disease management. Readmissions and multiple diagnosis procedures leave patients with unnecessary costs and insurance. AI saves money on bills and insurance. Better outcomes with personalized treatments promise fewer bills, meaning more happy patients.
Do Not Forget The Concerns (Because They’re Real)
Let’s not let the good sides of artificial intelligence leave you blindfolded. There are some serious things that need immediate attention and responsible implementation of AI.
1. Data Privacy
Being in the healthcare industry, you know how crucial data privacy is. Only AI systems with the highest data security can deal with data challenges. They should be HIPAA-compliant to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information and remove any chance of penalties.
2. Trusting AI with Decisions—Is It Reliable?
If you think AI will replace you, it won’t. Only the monotonous part of your job will get replaced. The final decision is still in your hands.
3. Adopting AI—Is It Too Much?
Anyone can use AI tools; you do not have to be a tech expert. However, a basic understanding of its workings is important when working with AI systems. Like many, if you believe they will interfere with existing EHR and workflows, change your perception. Advanced systems are interoperable, which means they can work with any system.
The Bottom Line
Chronic disease management is not an uphill battle, especially with artificial intelligence. The everyday challenges you face are solvable with this technology. The only hindrance is how you implement it. Off-the-shelf models are less practical as they are not well-trained on your specific data. They are good for general purpose use.
For a more reliable solution, partner with an AI software development company for the healthcare industry. They have both experience and knowledge to build solutions required for managing chronic disease. Softude’s AI solutions are making real differences in the healthcare industry with 90% accuracy. Check out our solutions, or feel free to take our experts’ consultation to discuss your needs.
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