One of Poland's largest private healthcare providers, PZU Zdrowie is using AI-driven healthcare startup, Infemedica's AI-enabled Call Centre Triage solution to provide patients with more streamlined healthcare advice.

In 2019, the organisation handled 2.4 million patient calls, with 15,000 coming on a single day.

Building on a three-year partnership, Infermedica’s solutions will implement intelligent AI which allows autonomising areas that can free up doctors to spend more time with patients with serious issues.

WHY IT MATTERS

Through this initiative, PZU Zdrowie aims to bridge the key challenges posed by the increasing demand of healthcare services in times of health workforce shortages and rising costs of care.

It also aims to address patient's expectations of high-quality healthcare services delivered in the most time-efficient way. The solution will help patients get appropriate medical care and prevent unnecessary visits with multiple specialists.

The platform will support call centre medical and non-medical operators in triaging patients and directing them to appropriate care.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

Working on its vision to streamline healthcare further, 2020 proved to be an eventful year for the Wrocław, Poland-based AI triage company. In December, Infermedica launched its AI feature to connect patients with specialists, in the aim to significantly shorten the path from patient to medial specialist.

In August, the startup announced a $10.2 million (€8.4M) series A funding for its triage symptom checking system, and in May, they joined forces with Microsoft to digitise early diagnostics.

In support of the promising strides made by AI in telemedicine, the FDA has previously authorised the marketing of AI that would guide cardiac ultrasound use.

ON THE RECORD

Maicej Malenda, head of partnerships at Infermedica told MobiHealthNews: “We’re really pleased to announce our partnership with PZU Zdrowie. Our technology, in collaboration with one of the largest healthcare providers in Poland, has improved the guidance patients receive and allowed them to access the correct level of healthcare they need. This is really important because healthcare organisations are stretched right now dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis while trying to keep vital services running.

"It’s critical to prevent patients visiting medical facilities when they don’t need to be there, as not only does this add further strain on healthcare providers, it puts patients at risk of catching the virus. But, this is an area where Infermedica’s AI triaging technology can really help. Partnering with PZU Zdrowie has increased the number of patients guided towards using telemedicine as a first port of call, ensuring they still receive the guidance they need and are only sent to seek in-person medical care if genuinely needed for their condition.”