{"id":203,"date":"2020-12-07T15:24:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T15:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/?p=203"},"modified":"2021-12-31T02:04:12","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T02:04:12","slug":"ai-that-saves-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/ai-that-saves-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"AI That Saves Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chughey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christopher Hughey<\/a> just published a wonderful article called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/how-wellai-clearing-path-from-patients-doctors-christopher\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How WellAI is Clearing the Path from Patients to Doctors<\/a>\u201d explaining WellAI\u2019s business philosophy and demonstrating how WellAI works.\u00a0 One of the conclusions is that WellAI\u2019s technology is not meant to replace doctors, but, rather, to facilitate an interaction between doctors and patients and to make that interaction more efficient.\u00a0 It\u2019s akin to flying commercial airplanes: autopilot was invented decades ago.\u00a0 But human pilots are still in the cockpit, working hand in hand with sophisticated technology.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Full disclosure: While the WellAI Digital Health Assistant may suggest its top three diagnoses, it is still a human doctor who, just like an airplane pilot, makes the final decision on the diagnosis and how to treat a particular patient.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I would like to expand on Christopher\u2019s story.\u00a0 In particular, I would like to address the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Why should doctors not be afraid a machine learning technology such as WellAI and in fact should love it and embrace it?<\/li>\n<li>How do we know whether the diagnosis is accurate?\u00a0 How can we trust artificial intelligence with our health?<\/li>\n<li>When is it beneficial to use artificial intelligence for a medical diagnosis, and when are human doctors at their best?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, first, I\u2019d like to answer the following\u00a0<b>two customer questions<\/b>\u00a0that come up from time to time:<\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><b>The patient may not be a medical expert and may put in information (symptoms) into the WellAI app she may not really understand.\u00a0 Would that lead to a misdiagnosis?\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>What if, to the contrary, she had some other information that she did not think was important. \u00a0Would that also lead to misdiagnosis?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Short answer to both questions is NO.<\/b>\u00a0 Let me elaborate.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">1)\u00a0 We think everyone needs to try the WellAI app for yourself to see how it works.\u00a0 The experience may eliminate many questions naturally. The basic version is available for free in both App Store and Google Store.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">2)\u00a0 We thought Christopher gave a very illustrative example that underlines <b>WellAI&#8217;s motto: facilitate, not aggravate<\/b>.\u00a0 WellAI wants patients to talk to their doctors.\u00a0 In fact, we bring that moment of human interaction closer: 5 minutes for WellAI-guided onboarding vs 23 minutes for traditional onboarding (national average).\u00a0 WellAI mitigates doctor burnout by eliminating the most routine and boring part of the patient visit: waiting room and the questionnaire (23 minutes national average) and the doctor\/nurse note taking (15 minutes national average).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">3) \u00a0We are a team of data scientists. \u00a0We look at facts and evidence. We have run backtests and model validation for about 12 months.\u00a0 We have used a Bayesian-type approach to model validation: machine learning model cross-validation, as well as human doctor validation. \u00a0<b>Based on randomly selected 2,400 vignettes (diseases), the accuracy of WellAI diagnoses has been 83%, on average. For comparison, human doctor accuracy is at around 60%. \u00a0Traditional commercial symptom checker accuracy is around 30% (!).<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0Unlike some other startups, we have not been marketing ourselves. \u00a0We have not been looking for investors. \u00a0We have not been making any claims, until we are finished with a thorough scientific backtest. \u00a0We have been silent about our research success for 12 months. \u00a0Now that we are done with core modeling, we can look finally at evidence.\u00a0\u00a0<b>And the evidence has impressed us\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">4) \u00a0Everyone is error prone. But here is how WellAI&#8217;s algorithm mitigates misdiagnoses: we ask 12 to 18 science guided questions, as opposed to 5-10 questions asked by a doctor. \u00a0We do it for two reasons: (1) To eliminate unrelated outcomes, in order to come up with a more accurate diagnosis, (2) To get the patient back \u2018on track\u2019 with targeted questions, in case she may not fully understand what&#8217;s happening with her.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">5) \u00a0Most importantly,\u00a0<b>a technology like WellAI may prevent detrimental or even deadly outcomes<\/b>. When you are having possible early signs of stroke like sudden dizziness, what do you do? \u00a0Do you call 911 because you are dizzy? \u00a0Do you call your doctor? \u00a0What if you have to wait 23 minutes to talk to a doctor? \u00a0What if it&#8217;s middle of the night? \u00a0What it it&#8217;s a weekend? \u00a0Most likely you won&#8217;t call anyone if you feel sudden dizziness. \u00a0You would probably google first.\u00a0 If you ever tried to google a medical outcome based on one or two symptoms, you would know it could be a frustrating exercise as there could be hundreds of conditions under a &#8216;sudden dizziness&#8217; symptom. \u00a0Amazon&#8217;s Alexa, as of now, unfortunately, has the same issue as Google when it comes to diagnosing health outcomes. However, we strongly believe that this same patient may want to spend 2 minutes on an app like WellAI that&#8217;s available 24\/7, with zero wait time, in order to eliminate anxiety of \u201cwhat if\u201d. \u00a0If after a few questions the WellAI app determines that you have early signs of stroke, it will stop questioning immediately and will present a big button \u2018call 911\u2019 and will in fact strongly suggest calling 911.\u00a0 <b>AI may save lives\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In fact,\u00a0<b>emergency rooms would like to partner with a technology like WellAI\u2019s because, when wasting even one extra minute could be a matter of life and death, ERs would want to have the WellAI questionnaire transcript and the WellAI patient medical history &#8216;concept cloud&#8217; instantaneously, the moment this patient calls 911.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">6) \u00a0It\u2019s important to remember that the accuracy numbers quoted above (83% for WellAI vs 60% for human doctors) were the\u00a0<i>average<\/i>\u00a0numbers. \u00a0For example, for the primary care situations and some newer diseases like COVID-19 the latest machine learning tools like WellAI are very accurate.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, there are other areas where humans may prevail.\u00a0 One area where machine learning algorithms are still struggling is oncological diagnosis.\u00a0 The topic of one cancer, namely thyroid cancer, is near and dear to our heart. Sergei has been fighting to prevent thyroid cancer since he was 13, when he was exposed to the Chernobyl radiation fallout. \u00a0Human doctors and dogs are most likely still more accurate in detection various cancers than the machines. \u00a0That&#8217;s one big reason the WellAI team is working hard in the areas of oncological diagnostics (in fact, there is a PhD in surgical oncology on WellAI staff) and genomic diagnostics (where Sergei and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/daniel-satchkov-3986421\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Daniel<\/a> are part of the international working group under the auspices of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, or IFCC).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>It\u2019s human nature to be suspicious of anything new.\u00a0 However, at least in the next few decades we don\u2019t foresee machines replacing human doctors.\u00a0 Humans require social interaction, especially when they experience pain, discomfort or anxiety.\u00a0 Machines will make doctors more creative and more efficient.\u00a0 In the end, the patient wins.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To go back to the disclosure in the beginning of this blog: WellAI\u2019s Digital Health Assistant is a tool to assist human doctors.\u00a0 It is the human doctor who makes the final decision on patient\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a reminder, the basic version of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wellai.health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WellAI<\/a>\u00a0app is now available for free on your smartphone.\u00a0 Please use the following links to <strong>schedule a 1-on-1 demo<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>If you are an employer and would like a cool benefit that makes your employees healthier and happier, and saves 34% to 45% on your healthcare costs, please schedule a virtual meeting\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/well-ai-health\/for-employers-zoom-meeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If you are a potential investor who would like to be part of a unique once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity that will forever revolutionize healthcare, please schedule a virtual meeting\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/well-ai-health\/investment-opportunities-zoom-meeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If you are a potential customer, a patient or you are just curious about any of the WellAI high tech products \u2013 voice-guided Digital Health Assistant, data-driven Telehealth 2.0, or the scientific chronic disease management program \u2013 please schedule a virtual meeting <a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/well-ai-health\/30min\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Please follow\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wellai.health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WellAI<\/a>\u00a0 on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/wellaillc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LinkedIn<\/a>,\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RealWellAI\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RealWellAI\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/realwellai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/WellAI_LLC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Telegram<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCCgSR3NzSyMc3Jig3TKiA7w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube<\/a>\u00a0for news and updates!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christopher Hughey, my colleague and\u00a0WellAI\u2019s advisory board director, just published a wonderful article called \u201cHow WellAI is Clearing the Path from Patients to Doctors\u201d explaining WellAI\u2019s business philosophy and demonstrating how WellAI works.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[180,183],"tags":[5,134,135,130],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/2_zc_v1_52844000000936520-e1607527900936.png?fit=694%2C400&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":502,"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203\/revisions\/502"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellai.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}