Say hello to K

by, Jason Lockette, MD, MBA

HEALTHCARE INNOVATION COMES TO HUNTSVILLE The U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world yet we do not have outcomes to support those huge expenditures. We all know this, yet healthcare costs continue to outpace inflation. Why is this, and what can we do to be more responsible with our healthcare resources? I believe empowering consumers with information through technology is an important component of any solution. Let me explain.

EVERYONE NEEDS ACCESS TO INFORMATION In a system as complex as medicine where only the providers have the information we all need to make informed decisions, it’s hard for patients to know when and where to go for care, which often leads to over-utilization. As professionals, we’re paid for this, and our payment is often increased if we decide to do additional testing or treatment, whether or not it’s needed or has any measurable impact on the patient’s health.

Every year we see overcrowding in emergency departments and urgent care centers during flu season. Very few of those patients receive any measurable benefit from their visit. They are diagnosed with influenza and experience a few days of fever, chills, and body aches regardless of whether they take any medication. This over-utilization adds cost and decreases access to healthcare for patients whose outcomes we can actually affect.

REPLACING “DR GOOGLE” Meanwhile, online health content is overly general and sometimes incredibly misleading. At Integrity Family Care, we partnered with a new AI powered health app, called K, to give our patients access to information that is based on real cases from similar people who had similar symptoms. K is not intended to replace a provider but, rather, to replace “Dr. Google.” K recognizes the difference, for example, in the significance of a particular symptom in someone who is 25 years old versus someone who is 75 years old, so the app provides users with information that’s actually relevant to their age, gender, and symptoms.

In addition, our partnership with K allows our patients to share their K report with their provider if they choose. When we review patients’ K reports, we see detailed information about their symptoms as well as important symptoms they don’t have. We’re able to reassure patients who might not benefit from a visit while expediting the care of those who may have more emergent conditions. K leaves both patient and doctor more informed, which helps us collaborate faster on developing the right care plan for the patient.

Our intent is to decrease the number of unnecessary and costly visits while increasing access for patients who really need to be seen. Wouldn’t it be better if we could devote more of our time as providers to helping patients manage dangerous chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension? Better control of these conditions results in fewer hospitalizations and a longer, more productive life. Meanwhile the majority of patients with non-emergent acute issues have enjoyed being able to monitor symptoms at home or pick up a prescription without an in person visit. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

EMPOWERING PATIENTS WITH TECHNOLOGY Wouldn’t it also be nice if you could see how patients just like you with symptoms just like yours were diagnosed and treated? With this information in hand, patients are reassured to see the kind of care they might expect to need, avoiding unnecessary visits, the total cost of which can be upwards of $500. We have also seen that by having the ability to share your information with your provider, we can arrange for more timely and efficient access for patients whose conditions warrant further evaluation.

K works for adults 18-85 and the app is free in the app store and Google Play. Try it out and see what it is like to use a health app that actually provides relevant, reliable health information. Think about what it would be like to read a K report before walking into an appointment. In fact the vast majority of patients who have shared their reports with us so far have been reassured to rest at home or prescribed medication that they can pick up at the pharmacy without a visit. This is just the beginning of how we can begin to provide practical solutions by empowering consumers with information through technology.

ANTIBIOTICS FOR VIRAL INFECTIONS: It is estimated that only about 2% of viral upper respiratory infections (common colds) progress to bacterial sinusitis. Even if you are unlucky enough to get a bacterial infection, antibiotics will decrease the length of symptoms by only about one day. Yes, that is correct. Patients spend hours in an urgent care center or ER, pay their copay and deductible, buy an antibiotic, deal with the side effects, all for one day less of symptoms. Consider, also, the added risk of potential allergic reactions, Clostridium difficile infection, and antibiotic resistance and you have to wonder why we continue to do this to our patients.

Send us your results. Share your report with us when you see the prompt. If we get it before 2pm, you’ll hear back same day. After 2pm, we’ll reply by 10am the next morning.

HOW INTEGRITY + K CAN HELP: K can provide you with information from patients just like you who have had the same symptoms. By having this information, you can then make an educated decision as to whether or not you want to visit your provider. If you aren’t sure, and are a patient of Integrity Family Care, you can elect to share the information with us and we will respond. We might reassure you, expedite your visit, electronically send medication, or coordinate additional testing prior to your visit if needed.

We’ll fast track your care. You’ll get a message with suggested next steps. We might recommend rest, medication, a test, or a priority appointment.