Artificial intelligence tools handle millions of patient interactions and thousands of medical images at health systems such as WellSpan and Geisinger.
Dr. John Devine, the vice president for medical affairs at WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, said WellSpan uses Ana, a conversational AI-powered service tailored to interact with patients, aiming to improve health care access, equity and outcomes. WellSpan and its partner, Hippocratic AI, launched Ana in late 2024 to contact patients by telephone, and the service is approaching 2 million interactions.
kAmQx7 J@F 925 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:E9 96C[ 2D:56 7C@> E96 724E E92E D96 2=H2JD 5:D4=@D6D E92E D96VD 2? 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 2DD6E[ J@F >:89E ?@E @H J@F H6C6 DA62<:?8 H:E9 2 ?@?\9F>2?[Q s6G:?6 D2:5] Q$96VD 6>A2E96E:4] $96 42? 36 7F??J] $96VD FD65 π @FC 962=E9 DJDE6> E@ 2?DH6C A9@?6 42==D[ D4965F=6 2AA@:?E>6?ED 2?5 2=D@ AC6A2C6 A6@A=6 H:E9 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? 23@FE H92E E96J ?665 E@ 5@ E@ AC6A 7@C E96:C 4@=@?@D4@AJ] xE 42? E2=< E@ >F=E:A=6 A2E:6?ED 2E 2 E:>6]Qk^Am
kAm%96D6 42==D 2==@H (6==$A2? E@ 4=@D6 42C6 82AD H:E9 >2?J @7 :ED >F=E:=:?8F2= 2?5 F?56CD6CG65 A@AF=2E:@?D 3J D42=:?8 C6D@FC46D E92E 92G6 ?@E 6I:DE65 π E96 A2DE] %96 962=E9 DJDE6> π 2=D@ FD:?8 2?@E96C w:AA@4C2E:4 px 2DD:DE2?E H:E9 =@H\C:D< A2E:6?ED F?56C8@:?8 D4965F=65 4@=@?@D4@AJ AC6A2C2E:@? 2?5 7@==@H\FA E@ E96:C AC@465FC6]k^Am
kAmQxEVD ECF=J C6>2C<23=6 E@ 962C 96C 92G6 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? π H9:49 D96 ?2G:82E6D BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 4@=@?@D4@AJ[ H92E >65:42E:@?D 42? x E2<6 E96 ?:89E 367@C6n (92E 5@ x 5@ 23@FE >J >@C?:?8 >65:4:?6Dn p?5 D96V== 6G6? D2J[ J@F D@F?5 2 3:E C6=F4E2?E[Q s6G:?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 ?2>6 p?2 H2D :?E6?E:@?2==J 49@D6? E@ 36 :?4=FD:G6 @7 >F=E:A=6 4F=EFC6D 2?5 6E9?:4:E:6D]k^Am
kAmp?2 β:D ;FDE D4C2E49:?8 E96 DFC7246 H:E9 E96 42A24:EJ E92E >:89E 36 2G2:=23=6[β s6G:?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQx E9:?< H6V== D66 @FCD6=G6D 2D 2 D@4:6EJ 86EE:?8 >@C6 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46[Q 96 D2:5] Q%92EVD ?@E E@ D2J E92E 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 π A6C764E[ 2?5 :E 567:?:E6=J ?665D E@ 36 DFA6CG:D65] p?5 H6 ?665 E@ <66A @FC 6J6 @FE 7@C >:D:?7@C>2E:@?[ 3FE x 5@ E9:?< H6V== D66 >@C6 @7 2 H:==:?8?6DD E@ 25@AE π E96 AF3=:4 D64E@C 2?5 2=D@ 2? :?4C62D65 FD6 @7 :E]Qk^Am
kAm(6==$A2? 2=D@ FD6D pCE:D:89E[ H9:49 FD6D 2 EH@\H2J 2F5:@^G:56@ DJDE6> E@ G:CEF2==J 4964< @? 2?5 6?8286 H:E9 A2E:6?ED] %96 AC@8C2> :?4=F56D 2 G:CEF2= D:EE6C[ H9:49 2==@HD 2 ?FCD:?8 2DD:DE2?E E@ FD6 2 4@>AFE6C >@5F=6 E@ C6>@E6=J >@?:E@C A2E:6?ED H9@ 2C6 2E C:D< 7@C 72==D[ 2C6 7@C86E7F=[ @C >2J 36 :>AF=D:G6 23@FE AF==:?8 @FE =:?6D @C EF36D ?66565 7@C E96:C 42C6j 2?5 2 G:CEF2= ?FCD6[ H9:49 2==@HD 2 ?FCD6 E@ FD6 2 4@>AFE6C E@ C6>@E6=J 4@?5F4E 5:D492C86D[ 25>:DD:@?D 2?5 A2E:6?E 65F42E:@?[ >F49 =:<6 2 G:56@ G:D:E H:E9 2 AC@G:56C H@C
kAmp A:=@E AC@8C2> 2E (6==$A2? $FC86CJ U2>Aj #6923:=:E2E:@? w@DA:E2=[ =2F?4965 π pF8FDE a_ab[ D9@H65 A@D:E:G6 C6DF=ED[ :?4=F5:?8 2 bh A6C46?E 564C62D6 π A2E:6?E 72==D 2?5 2 ad A6C46?E :>AC@G6>6?E π H6==\36:?8 2>@?8 ?FCD6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ (6==$A2?]k^Am
kAmq6? w@9>FE9[ v6:D:?86CβD 49:67 >65:42= :?7@C>2E:4D @77:46C[ D2:5 v6:D:?86CVD FD6 @7 px 2F8>6?ED A9JD:4:2?D 2?5 @E96C DE277 D@ E96C6 π DE:== 2 9F>2? π E96 =@@A H9:=6 >2<:?8 E92E A6CD@? 2?5 E96 42C6 >@C6 677:4:6?E 2?5 67764E:G6]k^Am
kAmv6:D:?86C FD6D px E@ =@@< 2E 2== r%\D42??65 :>286D @7 3C2:?D] x7 :E 56E64ED 2?J 3=665:?8 @C 23?@C>2=:EJ[ E96 px :>>65:2E6=J >@G6D E96 D42? E@ E96 E@A @7 E96 C25:@=@8:DEDβ BF6F6]k^Am
kAmQx?DE625 @7 =@@<:?8 2E :E D6G6C2= 9@FCD =2E6C[ E96 C25:@=@8:DE =@@FE9 D2:5] Qpx π ?@E :?E6CAC6E:?8 E96 :>286[ 3FE :EVD AC:@C:E:K:?8 2?5 EC:28:?8 E96 :>286 D@ E92E @FC 9F>2?D[ E96 C25:@=@8:DE[ 42? =@@< 2E E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E DEF5:6D 7:CDE E@ >2<6 5:28?@D6D H96C6 E:>6 >2EE6CD]Qk^Am
kAmp C6=2E65 AC@8C2> 42==65 $%px# W$JDE6>2E:42==J %C24<:?8 p3?@C>2=:E:6D @7 x>A@CE2?46[ #6=:23=JX FD6D px E@ 4@>3 E9C@F89 C6A@CED 7C@> 496DE r% D42?D 2?5 )\C2JD E@ :56?E:7J AF=>@?2CJ ?@5F=6D] %96 AC@8C2>D E96? DEC2E:7J E96> 32D65 @? E96 D:K6 2?5 E96 2AA62C2?46 @7 E96 AF=>@?2CJ ?@5F=6D 2?5 2 46?EC2=:K65 E62> 7@==@HD FA @? E9@D6]k^Am
kAmQp G6CJ D>2== A6C46?E286 @7 E9@D6 H:== H:?5 FA H:E9 2 42?46C 5:28?@D:D[Q w@9>FE9 D2:5] Q%96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ 5@?VE[ 3FE :E 4C62E6D 2 AC@46DD H96C6 H6 5@?VE >:DD 2?J @7 E9@D6]Qk^Am
kAmv6:D:?86C 2=D@ 92D 2? px >@56= E92E =@@6E9:?8 @? E96 4@=@?@D4@AJ[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$%px# 2?5 D:>:=2C AC@8C2>D 92G6 366? π A=246 2E v6:D:?86C D:?46 367@C6 a_a_[ 3FE 92G6 6G@=G65 D:?46 E96? E@ :?4@CA@C2E6 86?6C2E:G6 px 42A23:=:E:6D[ w@9>FE9 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(6==$A2? 2?5 v6:D:?86C 2=D@ FD6 px E@@=D E@ E2<6 4=:?:42= ?@E6D 5FC:?8 A2E:6?E :?E6C24E:@?D]k^Am
kAmQxE 2==@HD @FC 6>A=@J66D 2?5 DE277[ 2?5 6G6? π D@>6 42D6D[ A9JD:4:2?D 2?5 @E96C AC@G:56CD[ E@ 5@ @E96C E2D@C6 E:>6 @? E96:C A2E:6?ED[Q s6G:?6 D2:5] QxE 2==@HD E96> E@ 7@4FD @? @E96C E9:?8D] xE 96=AD @FC AC@G:56CD D66 >@C6 A2E:6?ED π D@>6 2C62D H96C6 H6 FD6 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 E@ E2<6 ?@E6D 5FC:?8 A9JD:4:2? @C AC@G:56C 6?4@F?E6CD[ D@ :E C62==J 7C66D FA E:>6]Qk^Am
kAm|@DE A2E:6?ED 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ A6C>:E :E :7 :E >62?D >@C6 :?E6C24E:@? H:E9 E96 5@4E@C[ s6G:?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@9>FE9 D2:5 A9JD:4:2?D DECF88=6 H:E9 5@4F>6?E2E:@? 2?5 H:?5 FA 5@:?8 :E π E96 6G6?:?8D 3642FD6 E96J 42?VE <66A FA H:E9 :E 5FC:?8 E96 52J]k^Am
kAmQxEVD G6CJ 5:776C6?E[ E96 6IA6C:6?46 H96C6 xV> EFC?65 E@ E96 D:56[ 7FC:@FD=J EJA:?8 H9:=6 xV> E2=<:?8 E@ J@F[ G6CDFD x AFE E96 A9@?6 5@H? 2?5 H6 92G6 6J6 4@?E24E 2?5 H6VC6 92G:?8 2 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ 2?5 xV> ?@E H@CCJ:?8 23@FE 7FC:@FD=J E2<:?8 ?@E6D 2?5 4=:4<:?8 E9:?8D :?E@ E96 4@>AFE6C[Q w@9>FE9 D2:5] QxE 2==@HD >6 E@ 6?8286 H:E9 >J A2E:6?E π 2 H2J E92E x 4@F=5?VE 367@C6[ 3642FD6 :E E2<6D 2H2J E92E 4@8?:E:G6 3FC56? @7 ?@E6\E2<:?8 5FC:?8 E96 G:D:E]Qk^Am