Written by: Jolyn M. Bragg
A patient sends a message through their UT Health San Antonio MyChart and receives a faster, more informed response.
A clinician walks into an appointment with important medical insights already summarized and ready to use.
A care team identifies a missed screening and helps schedule it before it becomes a serious condition.
These scenarios are not future possibilities. They are improvements that artificial intelligence (AI) is already delivering in healthcare settings.
To help bring these advancements to patients, UT Health San Antonio recently hosted its inaugural AI Symposium in Clinical Healthcare. More than 100 physicians, nurses, faculty and leaders came together with national experts to explore how AI is making care faster, more connected and more personal.
“Using innovative digital health tools like AI, we can identify needs sooner, respond faster and deliver care that is more precise and personalized.” said Edward Sankary, MD, FACP, FAMIA, vice president and chief health information and value officer of UT Health San Antonio. “AI helps us see a more complete picture so we can make the best decisions for every person we serve.”
The symposium highlighted the many ways that AI supports and empowers clinicians to better connect with patients and provide an even higher level of care.
Faster answers, less waiting
Waiting for answers can be one of the hardest parts of the healthcare experience.
AI is helping UT Health San Antonio doctors and care teams respond more quickly to patient messages, questions and follow-ups. Smart tools can sort incoming messages and understand when a question has a simple answer that can be handled quickly with a digital assistant, and when it needs a nurse or doctor to step in.
That means patients get faster responses, and care teams can focus their time where it is needed most.
Seeing the full picture, sooner
Every patient has a story. In some cases, a patient’s medical record can be very lengthy, containing as many words as the novel Moby-Dick.
AI can review that information in seconds and highlight what matters most. It can flag risks, identify missed screenings and suggest next steps based on a patient’s history.
That helps clinicians make more informed decisions and helps patients get the right care at the right time.
Better visits, more face time with your doctor
Technology is also helping make time with your doctor more meaningful.
With patient consent, clinicians can turn on ambient listening AI that automatically captures important details from appointment conversations. This AI technology helps create detailed visit notes, organize follow-up care and allow clinicians to focus more on their patient instead of administrative computer tasks.
At the same time, AI features within Epic MyChart can help clinicians by summarizing medical records, finding care gaps, flagging medication management needs and supporting physician decision-making.
“When we use AI correctly, it gives time back to our clinicians, nurses and care teams. Time to think, to connect and to be fully present with patients,” said Allison Pratka, AuD, CCC-A, MBA, audiologist and associate chief medical information officer at UT Health San Antonio. “That leads to better care, less strain on our care teams and more meaningful experiences for our patients.”
Supporting doctors to deliver their best care
Healthcare today can be complex. Thousands of new research articles are published every day, and a patient’s medical history can span decades and hundreds of pages.
AI helps doctors:
- Stay current by summarizing the latest medical research.
- Review decades of medical history quickly.
- Make better, evidence-based decisions.
- Identify possible clinical research opportunities for patients.
This does not replace the clinician. It strengthens them.
Patients benefit from both the expertise of their care team and the added insight of advanced health technology.
Advancing research and new treatments
AI is also helping accelerate clinical research.
By identifying patients who may qualify for clinical trials and helping researchers analyze large amounts of data, AI can support the creation of lifesaving treatments and therapies.
This means more patients may have access to innovative care options, closer to home.
Safe, secure and always human
As AI becomes part of healthcare, safety and trust remain the top priorities.
UT Health San Antonio uses secure, approved digital health systems and adheres to strict federal and state regulations, including HIPAA. Every tool is carefully reviewed to ensure it is safe, secure and used appropriately.
Most importantly, AI does not make decisions on its own. The use of AI in healthcare is not a replacement for human expertise and care. Rather, it allows clinicians to provide care that is more personal, easier to access and better informed.
Every diagnosis, recommendation and treatment plan is guided by a trained clinician who knows the patient and their needs.
“Patients should know that the care they receive is still deeply personal,” said Sankary. “AI brings more insight into each decision, but the compassion and judgment always come from their care team.”
A healthier future for Texas
UT Health San Antonio is using AI and digital health innovation to bring advanced care closer to home for patients and families across Texas.
By combining leading-edge technology with expert, compassionate clinicians and care teams, patients get the care they need sooner and with improved outcomes.
Read more about digital health innovation at UT Health San Antonio:
UT Health San Antonio’s new hospital features state-of-the-art technology
Virtual Nursing: Transforming Hospital Care at UT Health San Antonio