Comments on: The Medical AI Floodgates Open, at a Cost of $1000 per Patient

By: Bjoern Jobke

Bjoern Jobke — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 16:53:20 +0000

In this diagnostic setting, AI is not replacing a radiologist. AI is replacing a niche diagnostic task, an important one but nevertheless very specific. Still, this announcement comes with a bitter taste with many of us repetitively saying AI will not replace radiologists and here we are seeing the first AI application demonstrating clinical benefits (uptake and prospective data to be seen), not only but also because the radiologist is not part of the calculation anymore. Something to think about.

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 19:46:28 +0000

” So it makes sense for the physicians that put in the orders, set the indications, and file the claims, to do so directly rather than through some hospital or other intermediary and it makes sense for the physician to hire the AI or another clinician as they become more efficient for an increasing scope of work.”

Where do you find independent physicians not employed through a hospital network? I can’t find any around here.

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 12:10:07 +0000

Why did no one complain about replacing low level, non-skilled workers with machines? Now that machine are creeping into high level, skilled worker positions the alarms are being wrung. Can’t feel sorry for ya’ll.

Read Kurt Vonnegut’s book, “Player Piano”. You haven’t seen anything yet.

By: Adrian Gropper, MD

Adrian Gropper, MD — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 05:48:14 +0000

Why the surprise? Based on the indication for the CT, the AI is replacing the general radiologist. Then, the AI is being paid on salary at $25K / year. Tomorrow, another AI will replace another physician based on some other indication for a consult. That AI will also be on salary.

This business model is not just about AI. It is already being applied to robots as they replace people for various jobs and are paid, like the human they replace, on salary or by the hour.

The biggest recent economic change for physicians came with the expansion of mid-level practitioners. Physicians in private practice get to benefit economically from adding mid-levels. Employed physicians, to some extent, have to share the economic benefit of the mid-levels with the hospital administrators and therefore tend to make less money themselves.

As AI increasingly does the job of some physicians and other clinicians, the question will be: who employs the AI? It’s going to be the physician’s choice, at least until the payers accept claims from the AI directly 🙂 So it makes sense for the physicians that put in the orders, set the indications, and file the claims, to do so directly rather than through some hospital or other intermediary and it makes sense for the physician to hire the AI or another clinician as they become more efficient for an increasing scope of work.