Your next primary care doctor could be online only, accessed through an AI tool
NPR••general
Key Points:
- Tammy MacDonald, like about 17% of U.S. adults, struggled to find a primary care physician after her doctor died, facing long wait times even in Massachusetts, a state with a shrinking primary care workforce.
- Mass General Brigham (MGB) launched Care Connect, an AI-supported telehealth program, allowing patients to access remote doctors for common medical issues and chronic disease management, providing quicker appointments than traditional in-person care.
- Care Connect employs doctors who work remotely and use AI to triage symptoms and suggest diagnoses, aiming to alleviate primary care shortages and reduce staff burnout, though some physicians express concerns about AI's limitations and potential impacts on in-person care.
- Critics highlight that AI tools cannot fully replace the nuanced understanding and
