The landscape of healthcare is rapidly evolving, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a transformative force. The possibilities are vast, and the promise is substantial. Currently, there are nearly 900 AI health tools approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and experts are advocating for their wider adoption to bolster patient care amidst growing concerns about physician shortages and hospital closures. These innovative Ai Tool For Health Care solutions are poised to reshape medical practice, offering enhanced diagnostic capabilities, streamlined workflows, and improved patient outcomes.
However, Nigam Shah, PhD, chief data scientist for Stanford Health Care, cautions that FDA approval alone does not guarantee clinical value. The crucial question is whether an ai tool for health care truly enhances patient care while simultaneously reducing costs. “Are we going to make things better or worse?” questions Shah, whose team has developed AI assessment processes for healthcare systems. He points out the current lack of comprehensive regulation in this rapidly expanding field.
To navigate the increasing array of AI options, we consulted with Shah and other leading experts to identify the AI tools making the most significant impact in their respective healthcare institutions. Our selection prioritizes commercially available tools that have been recognized by multiple experts and/or have gained recognition from organizations dedicated to standardizing AI assessment, such as the Coalition for Health AI and the Health AI Partnership.
The following list highlights five of the most impactful ai tool for health care solutions currently available, representing the cutting edge of AI in medicine today.
1. LumineticsCore: Revolutionizing Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis
What it is: An AI-powered diagnostic tool for diabetic retinopathy.
Who it’s for: Point-of-care providers including optometrists, ophthalmologists, primary care physicians, and endocrinology clinics.
Diabetic retinopathy, a complication affecting nearly half of diabetes patients, is the primary cause of blindness in the US. Alarmingly, approximately half of those affected are unaware of their condition. Early detection through eye exams is crucial, but traditional diagnostic processes often involve delays of a week or more, hindering timely follow-up care.
LumineticsCore, an FDA-approved ai tool for health care, is transforming diabetic retinopathy and macular edema diagnosis by significantly accelerating the process and encouraging more patients to seek necessary ophthalmological care.
This innovative system utilizes retinal camera images and employs an AI-based algorithm alongside a separate diagnostic algorithm to identify and analyze key biomarkers. LumineticsCore delivers a diagnosis during the same appointment, enabling immediate referrals to ophthalmologists.
Stanford researchers have found that patients diagnosed using LumineticsCore are three times more likely to adhere to referrals compared to those diagnosed by clinicians alone. Furthermore, LumineticsCore has successfully passed Stanford’s rigorous assessment, demonstrating “a clear increase in the quality of care,” according to Shah.
Jennifer Goldsack, founder and CEO of DiMe, highlights the tool’s impactful liability model and reimbursement structure. LumineticsCore assumes full liability for diagnoses, protecting providers, and its billing code facilitates private insurance reimbursement, making it a truly practical ai tool for health care.
2. Abridge: Streamlining Clinical Documentation with Ambient AI
What it is: An ambient listening ai tool for health care designed for clinical note-taking.
Who it’s for: Physicians across all specialties seeking to minimize administrative burden and computer time.
Bruce Darrow, PhD, interim chief digital and information officer at the Mount Sinai Health System, envisions a “hospital of the future” where voice-activated technology eliminates the need for manual input. Ambient listening ai tool for health care solutions like Abridge, originating from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), are bringing this vision to life.
Christian Carmody, MBA/MIS, chief technology officer at UPMC, explains that physicians frequently dedicate significant time to documentation after patient encounters. Abridge enhances efficiency, freeing up valuable time for patient care.
Abridge’s calculator estimates that a 200-physician hospital system could save approximately 85,000 hours annually (425 hours per physician) and reduce physician turnover costs by $1.7 million per year by mitigating burnout.
Carmody notes the overwhelmingly positive feedback from physicians who report daily time savings on administrative tasks.
With patient consent, Abridge records patient-physician interactions and generates real-time transcripts. Its AI algorithm extracts crucial information to draft clinical notes, which clinicians then review and integrate into patient medical records.
A unique feature of Abridge is its explainable AI. Users can highlight sections of the AI-generated note to reveal the corresponding source in the transcript, ensuring verifiability. Abridge also provides recordings and transcripts directly to patients, enhancing transparency and patient engagement.
Compatible with Epic and other electronic health record systems, Abridge is utilized by leading healthcare organizations like Emory Healthcare, Yale New Haven Health, Sutter Health, Christus Health, and The University of Chicago, demonstrating its broad applicability as an essential ai tool for health care.
3. Woebot: Providing On-Demand Mental Health Support
What it is: A mental health chatbot powered by machine learning.
Who it’s for: Primary care physicians and mental health specialists.
The demand for mental health services is outpacing the capacity of providers. Patients often face wait times of weeks or months to see a specialist after referral, explains Tarun Kapoor, MD, chief digital transformation officer at Virtua Health.
Woebot, a mental health chatbot, offers an immediate solution by providing on-demand support through a mobile app. This ai tool for health care employs principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and is available to patients of partner healthcare institutions, typically those with over 50 primary care physicians, according to Brad Gescheider, chief commercial officer at Woebot Health. While not fully FDA-approved, a version of Woebot has received the FDA’s breakthrough device designation, potentially expediting future approval processes.
Woebot utilizes machine learning to interpret patient messages and delivers pre-written responses developed by clinicians and writers, mirroring realistic therapeutic interactions.
Kapoor acknowledges that Woebot does not entirely replicate human therapist conversations, emphasizing the potential unpredictability of generative AI in this context.
Virtua Health prescribes Woebot to patients with mild to moderate depression and anxiety, conditions effectively treated with CBT. This ai tool for health care is provided free to Virtua Health patients, with hospitals and health systems paying a recurring monthly fee based on their primary care physician count.
Woebot, a two-time MedTech Breakthrough award recipient, has demonstrated high user satisfaction and convenience. Over 80% of users report positive experiences, typical interactions last just 7 minutes, and 77% of interactions occur outside of provider working hours. Positive findings have prompted insurer interest and requests for further data, with Kapoor hopeful for future reimbursement codes, solidifying Woebot’s position as a valuable ai tool for health care.
4. VBrain: Accelerating and Enhancing Brain Tumor Contouring
What it is: An AI-assisted tool for automated brain tumor contouring.
Who it’s for: Radiation oncologists.
Radiation oncologists face the critical task of precisely delineating brain tumor locations and masses before treatment. Accurate tumor contouring is essential for effective radiation delivery while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue, explains Shah. However, manual tumor contouring is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process.
VBrain by Vysioneer is an ai tool for health care designed to expedite and improve tumor contouring. It accelerates the process by approximately 30% on average and enhances contouring accuracy by 12% compared to manual methods. Its FDA-approved deep learning algorithm identifies the three most prevalent types of brain tumors: Metastasis, meningioma, and acoustic neuroma.
Stanford researchers validated VBrain in a study involving 100 patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery, a procedure reliant on precise contouring.
Shah states that VBrain automates “80-90% of the job,” significantly reducing the manual effort required. While the clinical outcome remains consistent, this ai tool for health care drastically reduces contouring time from approximately an hour to just 15 minutes, improving efficiency for clinicians.
5. GI Genius: Enhancing Colonoscopy Polyp Detection
What it is: AI-powered system for polyp detection during colonoscopies.
Who it’s for: Gastroenterologists and endoscopists.
GI Genius by Medtronic is an FDA-approved ai tool for health care that acts as an AI-powered “back-up camera” to aid in colon lesion detection during colonoscopies. Integrated with existing endoscopy equipment, GI Genius appears on the endoscopist’s monitor, identifying and highlighting suspected polyps in real-time with green boxes.
Kapoor from Virtua Health describes GI Genius as providing “a second set of eyes,” emphasizing its significant benefit relative to its cost.
GI Genius utilizes deep learning algorithms to analyze unstructured image data and predict polyp presence. A 2020 study demonstrated that GI Genius increased the adenoma (pre-cancerous polyp) detection rate (ADR) by over 14%. Notably, colorectal cancer risk decreases by 3% for every 1% increase in ADR. Another study showed that GI Genius analyzed polyps 82% faster than endoscopists.
Furthermore, this ai tool for health care automatically generates reports immediately after an endoscopy, a feature highly valued by doctors for its time-saving benefits in documentation.
These top five ai tool for health care innovations represent just a fraction of the rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence in medicine. As AI technology continues to advance, its role in healthcare will undoubtedly expand, promising even more sophisticated and impactful solutions to improve patient care and optimize healthcare delivery in the years to come.
