Chatbots and related automation can ease staffing shortages, triage patients

The technology can also help with patient education and discharge, as well as combat clinician burnout, says the CEO of Amwell's Conversa Health.

For example, many hospitals and health systems use automation to ease the burden of staffing shortages and effectively manage and triage patients at scale. Healthcare IT News sat down with Murray Brozinsky, CEO of Conversa Health, which now is part of telehealth vendor Amwell, to discuss how chatbots and automation tech can ease the burden of staffing shortages; how the tools can help with patient education and discharge; how the technologies can be used to combat clinician burnout; and the potential importance of combining chatbots and similar technologies with virtual and in-person care. Now, as the pressures of delivering care during the pandemic prompt one out of five healthcare workers to leave the profession – and with primary care physician retirement rates set to increase dramatically by 2026 – the future of care delivery, patient experience and health outcomes will increasingly depend on automated support. A good example is Northwell Health, a health system in New York that uses automated chats to help their care teams stay closely connected to patients during their recovery after hospital discharge.