Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center pioneers of ChatGPT-integration in triage process

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, also known as Ichilov Hospital, stands out as the world’s pioneering hospital integrating an AI chatbot in its triage procedure.

The hospital, which registers around 1.8 million patient visits each year, has partnered with Tel Aviv-based startup Kahun , the brain behind this clinical-intake tool.

Originally, Kahun’s platform engaged patients in a written three-minute Q&A. Now, with the integration of ChatGPT, patients can interact using regular speech, aiding a more accurate expression of their symptoms. After patients describe their symptoms via the chatbot, the system generates a brief overview for physicians. This overview serves as a starting point for the patient’s initial care.

Founded in 2018, Kahun, which raised a bit over $10 million, emphasizes that their triage tool can enhance physicians’ capability to diagnose patients faster and with greater accuracy.

Prof. David Seltzer, VP of Emergency Medicine at Sourasky, identifies medical staff fatigue as a primary concern in Israel’s healthcare. “Kahun leverages AI to free up medical staff to perform medical operations that cannot be performed by AI systems, thus boosting the overall quality of care our patients receive. We welcome the use of digital means and AI as a tool to relieve the burden on medical staff, which will lead to improved patient care.”

Bottom Line: The use of a ChatGPT chatbot to allow for a more efficient initial patient assessment, potentially improving patient care and reducing medical staff burnout.