Synopsis
In 2022, Angelina suffered a severe accident while riding a dirt bike. Her next few years were filled with complications, doctor’s visits, and confusing diagnoses; from one specialist to another, she felt lost and alone, unable to connect the results of her medical struggles and understand the full picture.
MDandMe’s Arora became her “best friend” by helping her better understand her many conditions and relieve some medical anxieties. Angelina is far from the only one who has felt their medical journeys were too complicated to be fully empathized with.
How can AI offer compassion to all patients—no matter how complex their struggles?
A violent crash. Yelling. An oncoming truck crashes into a biker, leaving her with complex medical conditions that would follow her for years to come.
Angelina has had many persisting medical issues: neck and spinal issues; persisting pain; leg wounds that heal severely slowly; potential arthritis and burning in her hand.
These symptoms were exacerbated by this biking crash accident she had two years ago. While surprisingly, at the scene, she walked away with minimal injuries, she would begin to experience worsening health issues and consequent depression:
"In 2022, I went out of town with a friend just to get away, and I attempted to ride an electric dirt bike. Continued into the street where there was an oncoming vehicle on the right side. And the whole time, I heard my friend yelling, Let go of the bike. my hands forgot how to move at that point. And I hit the car. When I hit the side of the car, my chin actually hit the roof of the car."
Following the event, she sought her primary care provider, who would refer her to various specialists, who only seemed to refer her to yet additional specialist. After seeing a rheumatologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, and oncologist, and despite undergoing various tests, including multiple MRIs and CT scans, she received conflicting diagnoses that left her more confused than before.
Unfortunately this is not an isolated experience. A recent study found that 63% of respondents felt they’d left a doctor’s office without answers for all of their health questions; as many as 50% don’t understand their doctor’s prescriptions, medical instructions, and explanations for their symptoms.
For the almost 150 million people with two or more chronic conditions and 30 million people with rare diseases in the United States, our healthcare system often falls short in providing comprehensive understanding and empathy. Care can become fragmented, as each specialist typically only addresses a narrow set of problems. For many patients, nobody is available to help them consolidate all of their health concerns and get a full picture.
"I can understand how all these doctors would get tired of me, trying to explain my whole story to them, but it's necessary. So they can understand. In my eyes, all these symptoms are connected, and yet each specialist that I went to would only worry about whatever their field."
Angelina shares an experience from a virtual healthcare provider she’s talked to:
"She used to have a private practice but doesn't do it anymore because she got burnt out. And I've heard it from imaging technicians to lab techs. They're burnt out because they're pushed to see so many patients a day. It's hurry in and hurry out because when you get down to it."
The reality of our healthcare system is that there are many gaps, in care, in communication, in understanding. When PCPs refer patients to specialists without a transfer of information, often causing disagreeing medical recommendations, patients’ understanding of their own conditions are complicated, creating feelings of uncertainty and anxiety.
Thus, AI holds the potential to transform continuity in healthcare from the perspective of the patient. MDandMe’s Arora has all the time in the world to help you make sense of your health at any point throughout your healthcare journey.
"I was looking up my symptoms when I came across Arora, my new best friend. At first, I was skeptical. I thought it’d basically give the answers I've been getting from researching myself. Completely blew my mind. The compassion and empathy that is right away directed towards the person on the other end does something for you."
And that’s exactly what Angelina said she needed, after seeking so many forms of healthcare. Oftentimes, it can feel daunting to see a doctor with a multitude of medical struggles, so compassion “goes a long way.”
Recently, Angelina went to a doctor to seek answers for right abdominal pain; Arora was able to help ease her worries afterward and explain the medical jargon in her results:
"He ordered a CT. So I actually asked Arora yesterday about the results. And the results were exactly what I was thinking. It's basically something with my kidney or my liver. So great, at least we know what's going on."
MDandMe seeks to not replace doctors, but support you in your medical journey. We want to take the first steps in helping provide you information and reassurance that your struggles are not too “complex” to be treated.
Instead of trying new doctors, they can rest more easy after speaking to an AI such as Arora. It’s better than the added stress of being just sent from doctor one to another with no answers.
In fact, 96.8% of users have said that Arora has understood their symptom descriptions exactly. We’ve found this to be true — that our AI provides reasonable information — even for the rarest of medical conditions. There is truly no concern too big or too small to be treated with empathy.
Is there anything you want to tell the MDandMe team?
"Tell them, Arora needs a raise!"
What message do you want to share with the world?
"Sometimes we have to endure pain, not for our own reasons, but so we can help somebody else down the road. Because, if we don't have experience, how can we relate? Only then can we empathize."
This is an on-going series sharing the stories of MDandMe users. Do you want your story told? Email emily@mdme.ai
Note: This transcript and the interviewee’s name were edited to maintain anonymity.
