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Under a new safety net program, community health workers will gather the clinical information providers need to get patients in the San Francisco Bay region's unhoused community into treatment faster, with each artificial intelligence-driven recommendation reviewed and approved by a doctor.
Akido Labs' AI technology combines ambient listening, automated scribing of patient encounters and analysis of longitudinal data, giving medics the clinical reasoning and physician oversight they need to increase speed to treatment and improve patient outcomes.
WHY IT MATTERS
Homeless patients have reduced access to medical treatment and healthcare and often rely on emergency medical services.
The Bay Area has experienced a surge in its unhoused population, with a 6% year-over-year increase in homelessness. Now, nearly two-thirds of unhoused residents are living on the streets, Akido said in its announcement on Wednesday.
"California is at the epicenter of the country’s homelessness crisis," said Prashant Samant, Akido's cofounder and CEO, in the statement.
The Future Communities Institute (FCI) will serve as the convener of the healthcare intervention program for the region's homeless and other vulnerable populations to help improve care metrics and reduce hospitalizations.
Akido said its Scope AI platform will guide the new program's patient encounters, generate clinical reports and preliminary diagnoses, and enable speed-to-treatment for patients.
"Our AI brings critical healthcare services to some of the region’s most vulnerable neighbors – expanding reach in a system where the clinicians we’d need simply aren’t available," Samant said.
The region's unhoused population has grown more than 46% over the last decade, and its members tend to be high users of emergency services. Akido noted a report by the San Francisco Fire Department in 2023 that indicated that 25% of all ambulance trips involved people experiencing homelessness.
By helping to address acute healthcare issues, such as diabetes, substance use disorders and mental illness, AI-driven medical encounters on the street could set the Bay Area's unhoused community members up for "broader success," Samant added.
It could also reduce wait times for care, such as medically assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders. With AI-driven patient encounters, patients needing MAT might receive treatment within four hours of initial contact, rather than in a few days.
While the platform's ambient listening and AI analysis of longitudinal data capabilities give the medics the clinical reasoning they need to provide treatment at the point of care on the streets, it also makes it possible for a single physician to oversee a team of field medical assistants who are able to serve more patients.
Partnering with the Future Communities Institute are ReImagine Freedom, a local economic development organization, and Five Keys Schools and Programs, a non-profit social services organization that was founded by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department more than 20 years ago. It connects individuals to education, housing, employment and other services in 14 counties and at more than 100 locations.
FCI is developing an evaluation framework for consistent data reporting by all partners, according to the announcement.
THE LARGER TREND
Addressing physician shortage with AI-supported medical assistants helps reduce administrative loads, delivering five times more face-to-face time with patients and achieving a Net Promoter Score of 96, Akido said.
The platform is used across multiple specialties and supports patient visits in Akido’s Southern California clinics and in New York, where AI-based healthcare visits help to address the chronic diseases of professional rideshare and for-hire drivers.
"We built Scope AI to tackle the single biggest challenge facing healthcare systems worldwide: the physician shortage," Samant said last year when the company announced $60 million in investment. "With demand for care far exceeding supply, AI is the key to addressing the global doctor deficit, empowering healthcare providers and ensuring patients receive the timely, high-quality care they deserve."
AI-driven health system programs targeting physician shortages are expanding in other locations, as well. For example, Mass General Brigham is using a homegrown platform called Care Connect as an alternative for patients unable to find timely access to primary care services. Its doctors meet with 40 to 50 patients per day.
ON THE RECORD
"It is imperative that we rethink care models and forge new partnerships that will allow us to ensure that our most vulnerable communities receive vital, life-saving services," said Emma Mayerson, FCI's executive director, in the announcement.
Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
