Transforming clinical care: How AI is powering more personalized and effective medicine

Shaji Nair: ©FriskaAi

Physicians and other front-line care providers must feel like they’re waging a losing battle against chronic conditions and diseases caused, at least in part, by patient actions or inactivity.

It’s no secret that Americans spend more on health care than those in comparable countries for worse outcomes and lower overall life expectancies. But try as they may, patients’ habits won’t change during a brief medical visit that happens every now and then. Unfortunately, “Because I said so” works no better for caregivers than it does for the parents of teenagers.

To embrace behaviors that can positively impact their health, patients need personalized lifestyle recommendations, such as access to exercise routines, and nutritional guidance combined with frequent reminders and encouragement to instill life-changing habits.

AI-driven lifestyle health care platforms are providing physicians with the tools they need to help patients help themselves to adopt healthier practices.

Lifestyle behaviors affect chronic disease rates

The statistics on chronic diseases are well-known, but they bear repeating. According to the CDC, 60% of Americans deal with at least one chronic condition, and 40% suffer from two or more. Many preventable diseases are caused by such risky behaviors as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, poor nutrition, and lack of physical activity.

The costs attributed to unhealthy conditions are enormous, both in terms of dollars spent and human suffering. Health care costs for those with chronic conditions account for more than 90% of all health care expenditures, an estimated $4.75 trillion annually. It is estimated that 63% of deaths caused by chronic diseases are attributable to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and that nearly 80% of chronic diseases could be prevented if patients adopted healthier lifestyles.

These statistics don’t account for the human toll that chronic conditions can take in terms of lingering pain, loss of enjoyment, inability to perform simple tasks, loss of companionship, and poor financial outlook through job loss or underemployment.

Among the 11 countries that participate in the Commonwealth Fund’s International Health Policy Survey,Americans experience a 60% higher incidence of chronic conditions, including arthritis, asthma and other chronic lung disease, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension/high blood pressure. For comparison, the rates of chronic illness in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are half those in the United States.

The study shows that the rate of obesity in the United States is double the average of other industrialized countries, while the suicide rate is 20% higher. Despite spending the most on health care, Americans have poorer overall outcomes, reflected in a 5% shorter lifespan than comparable countries.

Lifestyle changes don’t occur overnight

General practitioners, bariatric physicians, pulmonologists, dietitians, physical and occupational therapists, and other providers and caregivers understand the effects that unhealthy lifestyle behaviors have on patients’ chronic conditions, outcomes, and overall health. The burden is particularly acute among caregivers who participate in preventative care models.

The average primary care visit lasts 18 minutes and encompasses patient history, review of systems, physical examination, and discussion of any findings. A focus on social determinants of health, as emphasized by the Healthy People 2030 initiative, can help medical professionals understand underlying barriers to healthy behaviors. However, those explorations take time that caregivers can’t spare.

Not only are providers hampered by a lack of time and resources to deliver meaningful education that might change their behaviors, but patients also suffer from low health literacy. The latest data available on adult literacy rates in the United States show that nearly 90% of adults lack sufficient knowledge and understanding to successfully navigate healthcare settings and act on information they are given, and one-third struggle with simple health tasks.

Literacy adds further complications to a health care system in dire need of better patient communication to enhance patient compliance. In the best of circumstances, people don’t change ingrained behaviors or habits immediately, although research varies widely on how long this process takes. In one study cited nearly 1,200 times, the time variation ranged from 18 to 254 days, underscoring the need for constant reminders and encouragement.

However, what caregiver has time to deliver that amount of education to a single patient, much less an entire practice?And if “lack of time” among the health care professionals is a major concern as it pertains patient compliance, how can this issue be resolved?

AI-powered physician-enabled platform can help change behaviors

Fortunately, the convergence of mobile apps, data interoperability, data exchange, and AI allows physicians to create individualized care plans on health platforms that can be delivered seamlessly to patients.

Physician-supported mobile apps, a relatively new concept, are gaining popularity and can be used to develop personalized care plans and monitor patient progress. They also simplify the way patients receive and understand medical information and instructions, helping to overcome common barriers to care adherence.

These applications should not be confused with the numerous health and nutrition apps available for consumers to utilize through their digital watches and smartphones. In fact, these mobile platforms connect to physicians’ systems and deliver tailored medical advice in a light and engaging manner that can help patients more easily comply with medical advice.Today, physician-supported solutions can offer reminders to drink water and hydrate (especially for older populations, where hydration is a significant issue), exercise, meditate, and engage in other stress-relieving activities that can help instill healthier habits in patients. Some solutions offer live or on-demand fitness or relaxation classes, nutrition or hydration trackers, meal planning, and other education.

Additionally, some physician-supported mobile applications offer audible engagement with nutritional and other health instructions to enhance patient compliance, bypassing some of the literacy concerns that are plaguing many patients.

Vendor-agnostic holistic health platforms can aggregate and continuously monitor data from EHRs, health apps, fitness trackers, and connected devices. AI-driven, evidence-based algorithms analyze this data and notify the patient when action is required. Insights can be shared with the physician’s office and, in some cases, integrated directly into the practice’s EHR, where they can trigger clinical alerts. The information is also easily accessible for review during in-person or telehealth visits.

The physician remains in charge of patient care, monitoring adherence on the platform, and the practice may be eligible for reimbursement for care management or remote patient monitoring.

AI-powered lifestyle health care platforms are redefining how physicians support patients beyond the clinic. By delivering personalized, evidence-based guidance and continuous encouragement, these tools help patients adopt healthier habits that can prevent or better manage chronic conditions. Amid stubbornly high rates of chronic diseases and health care costs, such platforms offer a scalable and efficient way to bridge the gap between clinical care and daily life. They empower patients to take meaningful steps toward better health while giving providers the visibility and tools needed to intervene when necessary—ultimately improving outcomes and easing the burden on the healthcare system.

Shaji Nair is CEO of FriskAi, an innovative health care platform that leverages advanced AI and mobile technology to enhance patient care by empowering individuals to partner with their physicians and take control of their health journey.