In the realm of healthcare, the marriage of artificial intelligence with primary care has the potential to enhance and optimize diagnostic capabilities in the field of dermatology. What may sound like a jest is, in fact, a remarkable reality. In a horizontal healthcare structure, primary care physicians are poised to provide specialized diagnoses within their own clinics, all thanks to the technological advancements that are already at our doorstep. This article delves into the healthcare landscape, highlighting the challenges and potential solutions that AI offers.
The Predicament of Healthcare
One of the major issues plaguing the Hungarian healthcare system is that patients often approach their general practitioners with every health concern, even those that necessitate specialized attention. When referred to specialists, patients frequently fail to attend these appointments, leading to a situation that is far from ideal for anyone involved.
The burden on primary care physicians is ever-increasing, often restricting them to providing only symptomatic treatment, which, in turn, contributes to the deteriorating health of the population. This situation breeds frustration among both healthcare professionals and patients alike. A significant factor behind this phenomenon is the inherent mistrust in specialist clinics, coupled with the patient's experience of long waiting times, even with scheduled appointments. The absence of a personal connection with specialists diminishes the patient's confidence in them, unlike the bond they share with their trusted family doctors.
A Horizontal Healthcare Structure Knocking on Our Door
It is unreasonable to expect patients to change their perspective on the healthcare system when they encounter difficulties at every level beyond primary care. Hence, structural changes may be necessary if we are to rescue patients lost within the labyrinthine system. It is worth considering how we can flatten and make the healthcare structure more horizontal.
One potential method is to equip general practitioners with the ability to conduct specialized diagnostics. While it is not feasible for every general practitioner to operate as a specialist on a daily basis, advancements in technology have made this feasible on an administrative and diagnostic level within certain specialized areas.
AIP Labs, a Hungarian company, has championed this approach with its artificial intelligence-driven AIP Derm, a digital dermatology solution that significantly enhances dermatological diagnostic capacities. This innovation is affordable and directly accessible to anyone seeking a diagnosis, prescription, or treatment recommendation. Following its success in Hungary and Slovakia, AIP Labs is expanding to the entire European Union under the name AIP Clinic, commencing operations in October.
The company has already signed contracts with numerous general practitioners in Hungary, offering them incentives for each referral. Through this collaboration, general practitioners can provide high-quality specialized diagnoses to their patients at discounted rates, eliminating the need for patients to navigate the intricacies of the healthcare system.
The Future Is Already Here
The Holy Grail of healthcare delivery is how the dwindling number of physicians can effectively and efficiently cater to an expanding patient base. To achieve this, general practitioners, the front-line healthcare providers closest to the people, need to be armed with diagnostic capabilities that augment their effectiveness and empower them to provide diagnoses to their patients. In a horizontal healthcare structure, general practitioners will be capable of offering specialist diagnoses right in their clinics. The technology already exists; the only question that remains is when it will become universally adopted.
What makes this scenario even more promising is that it's not a distant vision; it's the present. The technology is real, functional, and already in use by many in Europe. AIP Labs is eagerly awaiting inquiries from general practitioners and healthcare institutions, eager to collaborate and forge a path toward a more accessible, efficient, and patient-centric healthcare system.