By Dr. Adam Silverman, Chief Medical Officer, ActiumHealth

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A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Authority Magazine about the future of patient communication technology in healthcare. It was a great opportunity, but like most interviews, there were things left unsaid. Thoughts I self-edited. Questions I wish they’d have asked. Inconvenient truths that didn’t get discussed.

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Since this is my own canvas, here’s what I really want to convey.

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The Question I Wish I’d Been Asked: "Why is AI held to a higher standard than humans?”

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Often, healthcare executives are more cautious about the prospect of AI making a mistake than they are of current systems that are failing patients every single day.

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I've listened to thousands of calls. I've heard hospital operators hang up on bleeding post-op patients. I've documented 60% call abandonment rates. Yet when we propose an AI solution that answers 100% of calls with 95% accuracy, suddenly everyone requires perfection.

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The real question isn't "Is AI perfect?" It's "Is AI better than what we have now?" And the answer is an unequivocal yes.

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What I Didn't Say About the Digital Front Door

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The concept of a digital front door in healthcare was born out of a desire to make the experience of accessing care similar to what we experience in the rest of our lives as consumers. But 20 years after the first versions of the “digital front door” were deployed, patients still prefer the analog “back door,” the telephone, for accessing care.

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Why? I believe it's because of a supply-and-demand mismatch. The demand for healthcare services significantly exceeds supply in many areas. This leads patients to pick up the phone and try to talk to a human to lobby for why they should be the next patient to get that rare open appointment slot.

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This status quo is not going to change any time soon. Consequently, instead of spending millions on digital tools, health systems would be better served by investing in tools that make voice communication more efficient and satisfying to patients.

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Most patients just want to place a call, get it answered quickly and be on their way. But we've made the phone experience so poor – long waits, outdated phone trees, etc. –  that we've essentially told patients: "We don’t care about your time.”

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What I Wish They'd Asked About AI Ethics

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My interview touched on "Black Mirror" sci-fi scenarios, but here's the question I wish they'd asked: "Is it unethical NOT to use AI in healthcare right now?"

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Think about it:

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• We have technology that can answer calls 24/7 in multiple languages
• We have systems that never get tired, never have a bad day, never discriminate
• We can create automated experiences using virtual agents that are more consistent, efficient, and available than a human-powered call center

Yet, we're debating whether AI is "ready" while patients can't get through to schedule appointments.

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The ethical question shouldn’t be about AI performance at this stage. It’s about the opportunity cost of not deploying AI faster. Is it perfect? No. But it is far better than average human performance on the same task.

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The Question No One Asks: "What Happens When We Get This Right?"

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Imagine a healthcare system where:
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• Every call is answered immediately, in any language
• Every appointment request is handled efficiently
• Every prescription refill happens seamlessly
• Every healthcare worker can focus on complex, meaningful patient interactions

This isn't science fiction. It’s happening right now at leading health systems using AI solutions like ActiumHealth. Houston Methodist handles 1.6 million calls annually with our virtual agents. Nebraska Medicine is automating 70% of its inbound calls.

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My Advice

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To healthcare leaders sitting on the fence about AI: Your patients can't wait any longer. You can differentiate yourself in your market through better, more seamless, and respectful patient engagement.

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To technology skeptics: The status quo is underperforming and perfect is the enemy of good.

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To healthcare workers afraid of AI: This technology isn't here to replace you. It’s here to rescue you from the soul-crushing work of answering the same questions 100 times a day.

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The Final Truth

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Six years ago, I left a comfortable career as a physician executive because I was tired of just talking about change. I joined a startup because I believed AI could genuinely improve healthcare access.

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What I've learned is this: The technology works. The business case is proven. The patient outcomes are better.

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The only question remaining is: How long will we let perfect be the enemy of good?