My doctor consulted Wikipedia (3 reasons why AI will replace most visits to the GP)

I recently turned 40 and I treated myself to a visit to the GP. It was actually my wife who prompted me to get a checkup but with my best interests at heart, who was I to argue?

It was an 11am appointment and I arrived on time. I didn't step into the doctor's office until 11.30am. Unfortunately this is an experience we can all relate to. In fact, it's almost an expectation that the time you book for the appointment won't be the time you start the appointment (unless you're running late in which case they will always be on time!). 

AI will end the needless sitting around in doctor's waiting rooms. The first step will be AI intelligently advising patients when to leave home for their appointment. The bigger step will be AI reducing the need to visit a doctor in person altogether. More on that in a moment.

My grandfather was young-ish when he died of bowel cancer so the first thing I asked the GP was when I should start getting tested.

The first thing the GP did was open Wikipedia.

I opened my mouth in surprise.

"I'm sure I've seen a page here that details the requirements for testing," she said.

"Is there not a better system for doctors to find answers to common questions?" I quietly wondered to myself. 

AI will access the best sources of information. A doctor can ask "When should a patient get a colonoscopy?" and step through a series of prompts about family history and other risk factors and which categories of risk the Australian government is currently subsidising. Gone will be the days of trying to remember which websites to visit for the most current data.

The surprises continued.

The GP asked some questions and did some measurements that I expected. She checked my blood pressure, weight and height. She gave me a script for a blood test. She asked if I exercise. I looked guilty. Standard stuff.

But after I returned home I realised she didn't ask a number of questions that I would have expected. She didn't ask if or how much I drink. Or if I smoke. Or what medication I take. Or if I've experienced any health issues in recent years. She didn't recommend an eye test or a skin check.

I'm not a hypochondriac nor a doctor, but these questions were probably relevant for a checkup. Especially because this is the first time I'd visited this doctor.

I don't know why I wasn't asked these questions. I had a sneaking suspicion that I was being rushed through the appointment (perhaps so she could catch up some lost time in the day's slipped schedule). 

But whatever the reason, AI will increase the likelihood that the right questions are asked of the right people at the right time. The patient won't be dependent on a doctor knowing the right questions to ask or remembering in the moment to ask them. AI will constantly learn from you and patients like you to provide a more comprehensive and dare I predict, better experience.

Initially AI will act as an aid to doctors to improve the quality of their in-person consultations. As they meet with patients they will be able to leverage its powers to ask better questions and tap into current research and approaches. When this is combined with the empathy of a medical professional, the improvement of patient outcomes will be significant.

Next, AI will reduce the need to visit a doctor altogether. Instead of waiting around to see a doctor, people will engage with chatbots who are not only familiar with their medical history but also drawing on continuous learning from around the world. They will access health advice that will be at least as accurate (if not more) than what they currently experience when they visit.

This experience will be a million steps up from a late-night consult with 'Doctor Google' or 'Doctor Wikipedia' and reserve in-person visits to those that require physical examinations.

Even then, these consults will be transformed as people (for example) upload photos of potential skin cancer for analysis and participate home-based video-EEG-ECG monitoring. Both of these examples are a current reality (see Skin Check Champions and Seer ).

I tested my hypothesis with a parent from school who is also a GP. She shared that there have been lots of papers written about the impact of AI on her profession but it's not going to make a meaningful dent for another 20 years.

I think we're all in for a surprise.