PITTSBURGH, Pa (PTTP) -With the rapid increase in applying supplemental technology and artificial intelligence in various areas, Pittsburgh has had its own notable and recent advancements in healthcare specifically.
In September 2023, UPMC reportedly began utilizing a healthcare-specific and enciphered program known as Abridge that participates in appointments. Uniquely, Abridge records dialogue between doctors and their patients (that is supposedly erased after a few days). Afterwards, the platform immediately follows up with the patient’s history, medical notes, and visit summary all on its own; all of which patients can access. In other words, Abridge takes on the role of a scribe in the healthcare setting.
As of this year, Pittsburgh’s Cognitive Behavioral Institute is currently utilizing a particular mental fitness app known as Sonde (from the company Sonde Health). This free AI app is geared towards identifying pointers directly tied into matters regarding mental health. The main feature of the app is that the AI encodes the user’s voice in a 30 second speech sample, relating to the specific topic. Then, the app will further process and analyze auditory properties of the voice; such as, rhythm, and tone. From there, the app pinpoints specific mental health issues along with an evaluated mental fitness rating out of 100. Daily and consistent journaling on the app is said to result in more accurate and discrete insights. With the app being tested with nearly 100 outpatient psychiatric clients, the Pittsburgh Cognitive Behavioral Institute cautions that while the app;s findings are more accurate than not, it can be a useful tool; but, it should not be a replacement for face-to-face therapy.
These two data recording programs are two of many developments pertaining to futuristic technology that assists in better quality healthcare, within the Steel City.
For more information:
Click here to learn more about Abridge
Click here to learn more about the Sonde Health App
Credit: CBS News