[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":307},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-the-sober-state-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-fight-against-covid-19":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":173,"relatedBooks":306},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":34,"project_category":40,"contact_email_category":41,"yst_prominent_words":42,"class_list":63,"better_featured_image":78,"acf":110,"yoast_meta":118,"_links":120},27591,"2020-04-14T10:00:00","2020-04-14T08:00:00",{"rendered":9},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=27591&_wpnonce=945017eb26&status=auto-draft&type=post","2021-01-21T09:57:37","2021-01-21T08:57:37","the-sober-state-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-fight-against-covid-19","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-sober-state-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-fight-against-covid-19",{"rendered":17},"The (Sober) State of Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against COVID-19",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>If you ask us at The Medical Futurist about the importance of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fguide-to-artificial-intelligence-in-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">artificial intelligence in healthcare\u003C\u002Fa>, we will have a lot to talk about. We’ve seen how it could \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fartificial-intelligence-could-solve-alarm-fatigue-in-hospitals\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">solve alarm fatigue\u003C\u002Fa> in hospitals. We’ve analyzed the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-curious-case-of-a-i-discovering-unusual-associations-in-medicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">unusual associations\u003C\u002Fa> the technology discovered in medicine. We believe it will usher the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fartificial-intelligence-and-the-art-of-medicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">real era of the Art of Medicine\u003C\u002Fa>. Dr. Meskó even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhat-i-learnt-about-a-i-by-playing-1000-hours-of-chess-in-a-year\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">embarked on a journey\u003C\u002Fa> to better understand the language of A.I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So of course, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to explore the contribution of A.I. in this public health crisis. We came across promising endeavours involving such algorithms from mining for insights through tracking the spread to detecting the infection via coughs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s sensible to be vigilant and to know about the potential privacy issues and dangers that come with the use of such new technologies in unprecedented times. However, these developments we elaborate upon below will help us better prepare for future outbreaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A.I. predicting outbreaks\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In what is now a quasi-prophetical tale, it was an A.I. company that \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhow-digital-health-technology-can-help-manage-the-coronavirus-outbreak\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">issued the first warnings\u003C\u002Fa> of an outbreak. BlueDot used its algorithm to sift through hoards of news reports, airline data, and reports of animal disease outbreaks to detect trends. These were then analyzed by epidemiologists who then alerted the company’s clients. The software even correctly predicted the virus’ likely path from Wuhan to Tokyo after it first appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"254\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fcovid-19-ai-768x254.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27593\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fcovid-19-ai-768x254.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fcovid-19-ai.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.coe.int\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As the disease spread, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fhow-ai-tracking-coronavirus-outbreak\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">other organizations\u003C\u002Fa> turned to similar solutions. A team of researchers fed an algorithm with anonymized air travel and smartphone movement data to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.worldpop.org\u002Fevents\u002Fchina\" target=\"_blank\">explore how the disease could spread\u003C\u002Fa> from Wuhan to other cities soon after it appeared. Another team used an A.I. to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medrxiv.org\u002Fcontent\u002F10.1101\u002F2020.01.30.20019844v4\" target=\"_blank\">model COVID-19’s spread\u003C\u002Fa> from case reports, human movement and public health interventions. This helped show how travel restrictions hampered the contagion’s growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By employing such methods,\u003Cstrong> authorities can get a better insight into forthcoming disease outbreaks\u003C\u002Fstrong> and better prepare for any eventuality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Aiding in diagnosis with radiological scans, facial analysis and… coughs!\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Identifying those positive with COVID-19 is of urgency to stop cross-contamination. However, with overburdened healthcare institutions, identifying the infected proves to be challenging. Hospitals are overflowing with lines of patients showing up for various ailments, most of whom \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fhow-hospitals-are-using-ai-to-battle-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">don’t need additional care\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003Cstrong>A.I. can help in the screening and triage of relevant patients in these cases and alleviate the pressure on hospitals\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In China, the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fchinese-hospitals-deploy-ai-help-diagnose-covid-19\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Zhongnan Hospital used an A.I. software\u003C\u002Fa> programme to detect signs of pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections on images from lung CT scans. This helps assist radiologists to screen patients and prioritize potential COVID-19 cases for further testing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Teaming with Microsoft, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcoronavirus.providence.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Providence\u003C\u002Fa> launched an online tool to distinguish those who could have been infected with COVID-19 from those with less threatening conditions. In its first week, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fhow-hospitals-are-using-ai-to-battle-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\">over 40,000 patients\u003C\u002Fa> used the tool. Following suit is Partners HealthCare with its \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcovid.partners.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">A.I. COVID-19 Screener chatbot\u003C\u002Fa> to screen people remotely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F012_health_chatbot-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26455\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F012_health_chatbot-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F012_health_chatbot-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F012_health_chatbot-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F012_health_chatbot-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F012_health_chatbot-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F012_health_chatbot.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Tampa General Hospital in Florida went for a more sci-fi-like option. It \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fhospitals-tap-ai-to-help-manage-coronavirus-outbreak-11584696601\" target=\"_blank\">deployed an A.I. system\u003C\u002Fa> in collaboration with Care.ai to detect feverish (and potentially COVID-19 positive) visitors via \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fyour-guide-to-facial-recognition-technology-in-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">facial scan\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A group of researchers and engineers from San Francisco launched an initiative called \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcoughforthecure.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Cough for the Cure\u003C\u002Fa>. Yep, you’ve guessed it: they aim to develop a COVID-19 diagnostic tool based on cough audio. Once enough recordings from people tested positive or negative for the illness have been collected, it will be the task of a machine learning algorithm to detect nuances to differentiate between those people and aid in diagnosis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Resource management and predicting severe outcomes\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lack of protective equipment, shortage of hospital beds and overloaded ICU are worldwide phenomena these days. \u003Cstrong>With A.I.-based forecasting tools, hospitals can better manage their resources\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002FDeath-Prediction-AI-768x419.jpg\" alt=\"A.I. in medicine\" class=\"wp-image-22997\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002FDeath-Prediction-AI-768x419.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002FDeath-Prediction-AI-1536x838.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002FDeath-Prediction-AI-512x279.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002FDeath-Prediction-AI.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.iqvis.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Qventus \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqventus.com\u002Fblog\u002Fpredicting-the-effects-of-the-covid-pandemic-on-us-health-system-capacity\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">developed a software\u003C\u002Fa> programme aimed to help hospital administrators during the pandemic. Their model takes into consideration the patient influx from COVID-19 and the related deaths, and forecasts its effect on the hospital’s capacity like beds, ICU and ventilator capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Researchers \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Ftechscience.com\u002Fcmc\u002Fv63n1\u002F38464\" target=\"_blank\">published their findings\u003C\u002Fa> on creating an A.I. framework to assist in rapid clinical decision-making. Their predictive models use real patient data to determine who will develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe complication in COVID-19. These models achieved 70% to 80% accuracy in predicting severe cases. Thus, patients identified in this way could be prioritized for specialized support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>These two methods tie in to better allocate and prioritize resources in due time, and to ultimately lessen the burden on healthcare institutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Speeding up vaccine research\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In a move to put medical research around COVID-19 on the fast track, organizations like Microsoft  and the Allen Institute for A.I. set up \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statnews.com\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F16\u002Fdatabase-launched-to-spur-ai-tools-to-fight-coronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a free, comprehensive database\u003C\u002Fa> with over 29,000 related scientific articles. Believed to be the most extensive collection of research papers on the topic, this \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpages.semanticscholar.org\u002Fcoronavirus-research\" target=\"_blank\">COVID-19 Open Research Dataset\u003C\u002Fa> (CORD-19) aims to facilitate research work by being an easily accessible resource for scientists. Moreover, it allows machine learning algorithms to mine for insights which can aid towards crucial research, be it for vaccine development, transmission trends or even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-curious-case-of-a-i-discovering-unusual-associations-in-medicine\u002F\">unusual associations\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Combining machine learning and network science, the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcovid.barabasilab.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">BarabasiLab\u003C\u002Fa> is looking for new drug candidates against the novel coronavirus. Less than 10 days since the team refocused its Network Medicine toolset for this purpose, they already \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcovid.barabasilab.com\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fnetwork-based-embedding-of-all-human.html\" target=\"_blank\">have a list of drugs\u003C\u002Fa> to be tested in human cell lines in an experimental lab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fcovid-19-network-science.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27595\" width=\"479\" height=\"285\"\u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fcovid.barabasilab.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>For the skeptics\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As we mentioned in the introduction,\u003Cstrong> all of these examples are not solutions but rather directions for future use.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It’s not all praise for A.I. There are reasons to be skeptical about its help against the pandemic in the same way there are reasons to be optimistic about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>No one could predict the scale of COVID-19, so solutions are only popping up now. This means that we lack prior data specific to this contagion which is paramount to A.I.’s functioning. For instance, some years ago Google launched Flu Tracker in order to predict flu outbreaks. The tech giant put a stop to the project in 2013 after failing to predict that year’s peak \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002F2015\u002F10\u002Fcan-learn-epic-failure-google-flu-trends\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">by 140%\u003C\u002Fa>. This was partly attributed to a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fstevensalzberg\u002F2014\u002F03\u002F23\u002Fwhy-google-flu-is-a-failure\u002F#18d498d15535\" target=\"_blank\">lack of trustworthy data\u003C\u002Fa>. Now newer software can scour from a much wider range of sources. As we gather more pertinent data, developers can build more robust algorithms around this outbreak and even better prepare for future ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"404\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-768x404.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27329\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-768x404.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-1536x808.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-2048x1077.jpg 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FBing-COVID-19-Map-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bing.com\u002Fcovid\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Undoubtedly, the measures involved to deploy \u003Cstrong>such solutions raise a whole new level of privacy concerns\u003C\u002Fstrong>. We’ve seen governments from \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fcoronavirus-south-koreas-success-in-controlling-disease-is-due-to-its-acceptance-of-surveillance-134068\" target=\"_blank\">South Korea\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.channelnewsasia.com\u002Fnews\u002Fsingapore\u002Fcovid19-trace-together-mobile-app-contact-tracing-coronavirus-12560616\" target=\"_blank\">Singapore\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2020\u002F3\u002F17\u002F21183716\u002Fcoronavirus-covid-19-israel-natanyahu-cellphone-data-tracking\" target=\"_blank\">Israel\u003C\u002Fa> employing phone surveillance to track COVID-19’s spread. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhow-germany-leveraged-digital-health-to-combat-covid-19\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Germany\u003C\u002Fa> is also contemplating a similar option. In the U.S., controversial companies like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F01\u002F18\u002Ftechnology\u002Fclearview-privacy-facial-recognition.html\" target=\"_blank\">Clearview AI\u003C\u002Fa>, which used its A.I. technology to build a facial identification database from social media photos for its clients, are contenders to bring such surveillance tools for the government’s use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Inflating the capabilities of A.I. will \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F12\u002F905352\u002Fai-could-help-with-the-next-pandemicbut-not-with-this-one\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">lead to unrealistic expectations\u003C\u002Fa> and ill-informed investments, which can lead to the crash of the A.I. industry. As such, \u003Cstrong>a level of caution is healthy, but the technology’s potential to support health crises remains undeniable\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>We need all the help we can get\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s important to note that in these settings, \u003Cstrong>A.I. alone is not the solution\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Rather, such algorithms should be considered as an aid for professionals. In the case of BlueDot for instance, the algorithm reported on trends it identified by going through scores of data which would take a considerably longer time by a human. Once these trends were found, \u003Cstrong>it was human epidemiologists who analyzed them to give a definite verdict\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002FArtificial-Intelligence-And-Doctors-768x610.jpg\" alt=\"top A.I. algorithms\" class=\"wp-image-22988\" width=\"503\" height=\"398\"\u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: Spiros Margaris\u002FTwitter\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ongoing and future progress made in the medical A.I. field will become undeniable assets for healthcare practitioners beyond the pandemic. Yes, efficacy and privacy issues are valid and require a concerted effort from policymakers, authorities and the general public for secure and efficient use of A.I. in fighting health crises; because let’s have no doubt,\u003Cstrong> we won’t be able to tackle the next pandemic without implementing A. I. way before it appears\u003C\u002Fstrong>. And we all stand to gain from the contribution of A.I. in healthcare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>If you ask us at The Medical Futurist about the importance of artificial intelligence in healthcare, we will have a lot to talk about. We’ve […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",16,27609,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32,33],6479,504,521,[35,36,37,38,39],144,207,3083,3085,1549,[],[],[43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62],1693,3581,2655,3585,2739,3587,2755,3589,3079,3591,3593,3595,3181,3597,3367,3599,1661,3555,1683,3557,[64,14,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77],"post-27591","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19","category-artificial-intelligence","category-future-medicine","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-digital-health","tag-covid","tag-covid19","tag-coronavirus",{"id":24,"alt_text":79,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":80,"media_details":81,"post":5,"source_url":109},"artificial intelligence and COVID","image",{"width":82,"height":83,"file":84,"sizes":85,"image_meta":107},1920,1080,"2020\u002F04\u002FAI-and-COVID-small.png",{"medium":86,"large":92,"thumbnail":97,"medium_large":101,"1536x1536":102},{"file":87,"width":88,"height":89,"mime-type":90,"source_url":91},"AI-and-COVID-small-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FAI-and-COVID-small-370x208.png",{"file":93,"width":94,"height":95,"mime-type":90,"source_url":96},"AI-and-COVID-small-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FAI-and-COVID-small-768x432.png",{"file":98,"width":99,"height":99,"mime-type":90,"source_url":100},"AI-and-COVID-small-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FAI-and-COVID-small-150x150.png",{"file":93,"width":94,"height":95,"mime-type":90,"source_url":96},{"file":103,"width":104,"height":105,"mime-type":90,"source_url":106},"AI-and-COVID-small-1536x864.png","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FAI-and-COVID-small-1536x864.png",{"aperture":108,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":108,"copyright":27,"focal_length":108,"iso":108,"shutter_speed":108,"title":27,"orientation":108},"0","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FAI-and-COVID-small.png",{"cta_type":111,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":112,"related_posts_footer":115,"related_posts":20},"subscribe",[113,114],24762,24757,[116,117],13650,27293,{"yoast_wpseo_title":119,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":27,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"The (Sober) State of Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against COVID-19 - The Medical Futurist",{"self":121,"collection":127,"about":130,"author":133,"replies":136,"version-history":139,"predecessor-version":143,"wp:featuredmedia":147,"wp:attachment":150,"wp:term":153,"curies":169},[122],{"href":123,"targetHints":124},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27591",{"allow":125},[126],"GET",[128],{"href":129},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[131],{"href":132},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[134],{"embeddable":26,"href":135},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F16",[137],{"embeddable":26,"href":138},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=27591",[140],{"count":141,"href":142},7,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27591\u002Frevisions",[144],{"id":145,"href":146},27631,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27591\u002Frevisions\u002F27631",[148],{"embeddable":26,"href":149},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F27609",[151],{"href":152},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=27591",[154,157,160,163,166],{"taxonomy":155,"embeddable":26,"href":156},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=27591",{"taxonomy":158,"embeddable":26,"href":159},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=27591",{"taxonomy":161,"embeddable":26,"href":162},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=27591",{"taxonomy":164,"embeddable":26,"href":165},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=27591",{"taxonomy":167,"embeddable":26,"href":168},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=27591",[170],{"name":171,"href":172,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[174],{"id":117,"date":175,"date_gmt":176,"guid":177,"modified":179,"modified_gmt":180,"slug":181,"status":13,"type":14,"link":182,"title":183,"content":185,"excerpt":187,"author":23,"featured_media":189,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":190,"categories":191,"tags":194,"project_category":198,"contact_email_category":204,"yst_prominent_words":205,"class_list":223,"better_featured_image":235,"acf":256,"yoast_meta":261,"_links":264},"2020-03-31T10:00:00","2020-03-31T08:00:00",{"rendered":178},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=27293&_wpnonce=258a021372&status=auto-draft&type=post","2021-01-21T09:58:21","2021-01-21T08:58:21","covid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream",{"rendered":184},"COVID-19 and the rise of Telemedicine",{"rendered":186,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Telemedicine has not had the success story it had hoped to achieve. The method, involving remote health-related services such as monitoring, advice and education between doctors and patients online over a secure connection, promised to be at the forefront of the future of medicine. It promised to make state-of-the-art healthcare more accessible without the need to wait hours in line. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, the reality is that only \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fremarkable-examples-of-telemedicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a handful of countries and regions\u003C\u002Fa> adopted the concept, but telemedicine remains merely a concept for many. In fact, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2017\u002F12\u002Fconsumers-telehealth\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a study showed\u003C\u002Fa> that in the U.S. alone, \u003Cstrong>82 percent of consumers do not use such services\u003C\u002Fstrong>. This sad reality can be attributed to the lack of improper infrastructure to support it and to the lack of awareness. Another factor is that \u003Cstrong>cultural aspects haven’t been taken into consideration,\u003C\u002Fstrong> like it’s usually the case in digital health. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, \u003Cstrong>some even question its reliability and effectiveness\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Put to blame is the very quality of these services. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fstudy-of-telemedicine-finds-misdiagnoses-of-skin-problems-1463344200\" target=\"_blank\">A study with researchers posing as patients\u003C\u002Fa> found that remote doctors across 16 different telemedicine apps misdiagnosed serious skin conditions. What’s concerning is that some doctors operating through these services didn’t even have a license to practice in their patients’ regions. Such issues even led to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2018\u002F06\u002F29\u002Fwhy-telemedicine-is-a-bust.html\" target=\"_blank\">reimbursement questions\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"One Minute Challenge: Telemedicine - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FdQ-rjGz15yM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But then came 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. This ongoing global crisis forced healthcare institutions and regulatory bodies to turn to alternative ways of providing healthcare while limiting exposure to the virus. And telemedicine is presenting itself as the ideal solution to these woes by limiting patient displacement to hospitals, allocating hospital capacity to important cases, all while curbing the disease’s spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Let’s see how the COVID-19 forced the healthcare world to do a 180° on telemedicine and what awaits this technology in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>And then came COVID-19…\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Just a couple of months ago, no one could have predicted the extent of the COVID-19’s effect on society. Entire countries are under lockdown in a bid to limit the spread of the virus. \u003Cstrong>Digital health \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhow-digital-health-technology-can-help-manage-the-coronavirus-outbreak\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cstrong>fares as an adequate solution\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cstrong> in these circumstances. \u003C\u002Fstrong>Robots help in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2020\u002F01\u002F23\u002Fhealth\u002Fus-wuhan-coronavirus-doctor-interview\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\">monitoring infected patients\u003C\u002Fa> to limit contact with medical personnel, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F23\u002Ftech\u002Fchina-tech-coronavirus-outbreak\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\">deliver medical supplies and disinfect wards\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Coronavirus Outbreak in the Era of Digital Health and A.I. \u002F Episode 11 - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fr9VeCmM8--4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200309-coronavirus-covid-19-advice-chinas-work-at-home-experiment\" target=\"_blank\">companies\u003C\u002Fa> and even \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2020\u002F3\u002F6\u002F21168463\u002Fcoronavirus-covid19-seattle-public-schools-networks-broadband\" target=\"_blank\">schools\u003C\u002Fa> adopt the work-from-home solution, remote consultation is also becoming an increasingly attractive option in healthcare. \u003Cstrong>The COVID-19 pandemic brought telemedicine into a new light.\u003C\u002Fstrong> As medical professionals need to stay healthy and disease-free, the need for remote technologies skyrocketed. Both the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cdc.gov\u002Fcoronavirus\u002F2019-ncov\u002Fphp\u002Fpreparing-communities.html\" target=\"_blank\">CDC\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapps.who.int\u002Firis\u002Fbitstream\u002Fhandle\u002F10665\u002F331215\u002FWHO-2019-nCov-IPCPPE_use-2020.1-eng.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">WHO\u003C\u002Fa> are advocating for telemedicine to monitor patients and reduce risks of them spreading the virus by traveling to hospitals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Following this lead, The \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aafp.org\u002Fpatient-care\u002Femergency\u002F2019-coronavirus\u002FCOVID-19-daily\u002Ftelehealth.html\" target=\"_blank\">Academy of Family Physicians\u003C\u002Fa> and the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ama-assn.org\u002Fdelivering-care\u002Fpublic-health\u002Fkey-changes-made-telehealth-guidelines-boost-covid-19-care\" target=\"_blank\">American Medical Association (AMA) \u003C\u002Fa>released related guidelines. The US Government also \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hhs.gov\u002Fabout\u002Fnews\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F17\u002Fsecretary-azar-announces-historic-expansion-of-telehealth-access-to-combat-covid-19.html\" target=\"_blank\">took significant steps\u003C\u002Fa> in order to expand telemedicine services. We’ve also seen practical examples like the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.globenewswire.com\u002Fnews-release\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F03\u002F1994551\u002F0\u002Fen\u002FBergen-New-Bridge-Medical-Center-Expand-Telehealth-Service-for-COVID-19.html\" target=\"_blank\">dedicating a COVID-19 telemedicine service\u003C\u002Fa>.  “These are the moments that we were built for,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapnews.com\u002F54da28f75c478ac1130170677958a7b5\" target=\"_blank\">said Dr. Jason Tibbels\u003C\u002Fa>, an executive with telemedicine provider Teladoc Health.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A ready-made option\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Telehealth is bridging the gap between people, physicians and health systems, enabling everyone, especially symptomatic patients, to stay at home and communicate with physicians through virtual channels, helping to reduce the spread of the virus to mass populations and the medical staff on the frontlines,” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthcareitnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftelemedicine-during-covid-19-benefits-limitations-burdens-adaptation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">said Dedi Gilad\u003C\u002Fa>, CEO and co-founder of Tyto Care, a telemedicine technology company. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dedi Gilad’s quote greatly summarizes the importance of telemedicine under the threat of COVID-19. It’s an adequate option to lift the burden from existing healthcare infrastructures. \u003Cstrong>It’s a readily available solution that allows those following treatment for other conditions to continue doing so or even filter out potential COVID-19 cases remotely.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In fact, telemedicine companies are evolving with the times. Companies like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002Fplushcare-insider\u002Fplushcares-covid-19-response-including-our-efforts-to-launch-at-home-testing-82a5ebc5e3c1\" target=\"_blank\">PlushCare\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.everlywell.com\u002Fblog\u002Fnews-and-info\u002Four-commitment-to-fighting-covid-19\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Everlywell\u003C\u002Fa> plan to release at-home COVID-19 testing kits. This can neatly tie in with their existing remote consultation services. Others like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.doctorondemand.com\u002Fcoronavirus\">Doctor on Demand\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.heydoctor.com\u002Fservices\u002Fcoronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">HeyDoctor\u003C\u002Fa> offer free coronavirus risk assessments. These then direct high-risk patients towards a video or phone consultation with a physician. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fat-home-covid-19-test-768x510.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27295\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fat-home-covid-19-test-768x510.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fat-home-covid-19-test.png 893w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.everlywell.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Overload\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While existing telemedicine services are ready-made options to help manage this pandemic, prior to the current situation, they were not widely adopted. This is leading to an overload influx towards these solutions. Before the pandemic, only 1 in 10 US patients used telemedicine services, according to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jdpower.com\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2019185_telehealth_usage_and_awareness.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">a J.D. Power survey\u003C\u002Fa>. Now the tides have drastically changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Stakeholders and patients alike are now scrambling to find a telemedicine service, a sector which is facing an unprecedented demand. Appointments via PlushCare are up by 70%. Amwell, another service, had its app use increase by a whopping 158% in the US since January. “\u003Cstrong>Any technology infrastructure experiencing such a large increase in demand would experience impact\u003C\u002Fstrong>,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1821549\u002Ftelemedicine-faces-unprecedented-demand-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">said Holly Spring\u003C\u002Fa>, Amwell vice-president of corporate communications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png\" alt=\"telemedicine\" class=\"wp-image-22474\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Conversely, \u003Cstrong>telemedicine services have the potential to overload hospitals\u003C\u002Fstrong>. This is because of their poor adoption, as not all institutions have the equipment to deliver remote consultations and allocate the required staff and resources. In a pandemic where the medical staff itself gets infected and quarantined, the pool of available providers is even smaller. But even this is a two-sided coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“By deploying advanced telehealth solutions, physicians are expanding their reach – even if quarantined – with the ability to remotely examine and diagnose more patients in a shorter amount of time, minimizing the number of patients entering hospitals and medical facilities,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthcareitnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftelemedicine-during-covid-19-benefits-limitations-burdens-adaptation\" target=\"_blank\">said Gilad\u003C\u002Fa> of Tyto Care. \u003Cstrong>Telemeicine will significantly reduce additional pressure\u003C\u002Fstrong>, he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>In a bubble?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ajmc.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fissue\u002F2020\u002F2020-vol26-n4\u002Fincorporating-telemedicine-as-part-of-covid19-outbreak-response-systems\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">recent paper\u003C\u002Fa> from The American Journal of Managed Care discussed the need for and challenges to incorporating telemedicine amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It concluded that “although certain legal, regulatory, and reimbursement challenges remain, the COVID-19 outbreak may be the right impetus for lawmakers and regulatory agencies to promulgate further measures that facilitate more widespread adoption of telemedicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It might be the case that telemedicine is experiencing a bubble which will burst post-COVID-19. Under normal circumstances, regulations and pricing issues might stifle its growth as it has been the case so far. The technology might recede back into oblivion, only to rise up during the next outbreak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service-768x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25384\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service-512x256.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fintouchhealth.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, \u003Cstrong>another global public health crisis is likely to happen\u003C\u002Fstrong>. In less than a decade we’ve seen the likes of MERS, Ebola, Zika virus and COVID-19. The latest one has shown the importance of telemedicine and key stakeholders should embrace the technology and make it an integral part of the healthcare system. This will help work towards the digital health agenda while also preparing for an eventual emergency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:center;\">\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplugins\u002Fpost.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmedicalfuturist%2Fposts%2F2802757973152153&show_text=true&appId=302609456435813&height=631\" width=\"\" height=\"671\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden;display:block;\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" >\u003C\u002Fiframe>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":188,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Telemedicine has not had the success story it had hoped to achieve. The method, involving remote health-related services such as monitoring, advice and education between […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",27309,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,33,192,193],499,494,[195,196,36,37,197,38],637,723,425,[199,200,201,202,203],947,949,950,952,953,[],[206,61,207,208,209,210,211,212,213,214,51,45,215,216,217,218,219,220,221,222],3065,3071,1719,3073,1723,3075,1987,3077,2625,3081,2825,2829,1571,3055,1617,3063,1631,[224,14,65,66,67,68,69,70,72,225,226,227,228,74,75,229,76,230,231,232,233,234],"post-27293","category-healthcare-design","category-telemedicine","tag-telehealth","tag-telemedicine","tag-technology-2","project_category-company","project_category-educators","project_category-medical-professionals","project_category-policy-makers","project_category-researchers",{"id":189,"alt_text":236,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":80,"media_details":237,"post":117,"source_url":255},"telemedicine and COVID-19",{"width":82,"height":83,"file":238,"sizes":239,"image_meta":254},"2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small.jpg",{"medium":240,"large":244,"thumbnail":247,"medium_large":250,"1536x1536":251},{"file":241,"width":88,"height":89,"mime-type":242,"source_url":243},"COVID-telemed-small-370x208.jpg","image\u002Fjpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-370x208.jpg",{"file":245,"width":94,"height":95,"mime-type":242,"source_url":246},"COVID-telemed-small-768x432.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-768x432.jpg",{"file":248,"width":99,"height":99,"mime-type":242,"source_url":249},"COVID-telemed-small-150x150.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-150x150.jpg",{"file":245,"width":94,"height":95,"mime-type":242,"source_url":246},{"file":252,"width":104,"height":105,"mime-type":242,"source_url":253},"COVID-telemed-small-1536x864.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-1536x864.jpg",{"aperture":108,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":108,"copyright":27,"focal_length":108,"iso":108,"shutter_speed":108,"title":27,"orientation":108},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small.jpg",{"cta_type":111,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":257,"related_posts_footer":258,"related_posts":20},[113,114],[259,260],26049,16450,{"yoast_wpseo_title":262,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":263,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":182},"COVID-19 and the rise of Telemedicine - The Medical Futurist","Telemedicine & COVID-19: Coronavirus brought telemedicine into a new light. Some hospitals screen patients with a COVID-19 telemedicine service",{"self":265,"collection":270,"about":272,"author":274,"replies":276,"version-history":279,"predecessor-version":283,"wp:featuredmedia":287,"wp:attachment":290,"wp:term":293,"curies":304},[266],{"href":267,"targetHints":268},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27293",{"allow":269},[126],[271],{"href":129},[273],{"href":132},[275],{"embeddable":26,"href":135},[277],{"embeddable":26,"href":278},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=27293",[280],{"count":281,"href":282},11,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27293\u002Frevisions",[284],{"id":285,"href":286},27571,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27293\u002Frevisions\u002F27571",[288],{"embeddable":26,"href":289},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F27309",[291],{"href":292},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=27293",[294,296,298,300,302],{"taxonomy":155,"embeddable":26,"href":295},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=27293",{"taxonomy":158,"embeddable":26,"href":297},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=27293",{"taxonomy":161,"embeddable":26,"href":299},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=27293",{"taxonomy":164,"embeddable":26,"href":301},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=27293",{"taxonomy":167,"embeddable":26,"href":303},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=27293",[305],{"name":171,"href":172,"templated":26},[],1790079839488]