Artificial intelligence is increasingly capturing attention in many sectors. The medical sector is no exception. At the same time, telemedicine has made big steps forward, evolving from doctor-to-patient calls to doctor-to-doctor tele-consultations.
The integration of AI and telemedicine is no longer a dreamland, but a reality with the potential of transforming health care. The main benefits are focused in three key areas: greater accessibility of care, faster diagnosis, and the possibility of getting second opinionsmore easily.
Greater accessibility of care
Some claim that artificial intelligence can be better than doctors in many aspects related to healthcare. Although this statement is not generally true, there are scenarios where, due to scarcity of medical expertise, AI can really make a difference. Think of areas where access to care is limited, such as remote rural areas or developing countries. A study published in the scientific journal Nature in 2020 showed that as many as 43.3% of the world’s population cannot reach a healthcare facility by foot within one hour. This statistic is particularly relevant for developing countries, where walking is for many people the only available option.
Even in developed regions like Ticino, Switzerland, some areas have only half as many doctors as the main cities. In Italy, there are remote area where the nearest doctor or hospital is too far away to guarantee a rapid service, especially when it comes to emergencyneeds.
Tele-medicine, complemented by artificial intelligence, can bridge the distance by providing general medical advice, suggesting the nearest place for treatment and helping with scheduling visits.
Even robot-assisted ultrasound examinations guided by artificial intelligence are becoming a reality. Such applications allow basic ultrasound examinations without requiring the presence of a medical practitioner on-site, but only with the remote supervision of a doctor. For instance, an experimental study published in 2024 on Nature shows an autonomous robotic system capable of performing thyroid ultrasound scans without direct humanassistance. The system uses advanced technologies such as skeletal recognition, reinforcement learning and force feedback to locate the thyroid accurately and orient the probe.
Faster diagnoses
In addition to the possibility of remote diagnosis and examination, artificial intelligence can help speed up certain types of diagnosis.
In a Stanford University study, the role of ChatGPT in generalist medical diagnosis was investigated on an experimental basis. The tool enabled a group of internists to complete diagnostic assessments more than a minute earlier than doctors who had not used ChatGPT. In a world where the demand for care increases and the availability of medical personnel is in short supply, a single minute of time saved can make the difference when it comes to efficiency and reduction of physician burnout. The study highlights the potential of AI not as a replacement for doctors, but as a support tool in diagnostic and decision-making processes.
When it comes to teleconsultation between doctors, AI can deliver real-time, up-to-date information on symptoms, differential diagnoses, and treatments. It can also rapidly analyze diagnostic images, quickly identifying patterns that clinicians can further examine for diagnosis.
More accessible second opinions
Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT, are already revolutionizing the way medical information, diagnoses and treatments can be accessed. These models can have a real impact on people.
A striking case in the US involves a mother who, after consulting 17 doctors without receiving a diagnosis for her son’s chronic pain, turned to ChatGPT. After inputting his MRI reports and medical history, the AI suggested tethered cord syndrome—later confirmed and successfully treated with neurosurgery.
Artificial intelligence models can be used not only by patients but also by doctors. A concrete example in Italy comes from the Bari local health authority, which recently implemented an advanced system based on a database of over 2300 scientific sources updated daily. Thanks to generative artificial intelligence, doctors can carry out conversational searches in real time, quickly summarize complex information, ask in-depth questions, and directly access scientific evidence.
In teleconsultations between doctors, AI can facilitate communication, support decision-making and improve the interpretation of clinical images. Machine learning algorithms can recognize abnormalities with high accuracy, reduce the margin of diagnostic error and speed up the diagnosis process, offering rapid initial screening and first-level clinical assessments.
The integration of artificial intelligence with telemedicine is already showing its potential in improving access to care, speeding up diagnosis and supporting the work of doctors. It is not a question of replacing the human factor, but of enhancing it by offering tools that make medical practice more efficient and widespread.
From teleconsultations to diagnosis supported by advanced algorithms, the future of medicine is on its way. The challenge remains to offer simple, effective, safe and ethical integration so that these technologies become indispensable allies to improve healthoutcomes for everyone.
