NVIDIA and Deloitte are developing artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistants, designed to help patients navigate pre-surgical procedures and reduce administrative burdens on healthcare workers, with The Ottawa Hospital selected as an early adopter of the technology.
The new system, called Frontline AI Teammate, uses advanced AI to create digital avatars that can engage in natural conversations with patients, answering questions about upcoming procedures and providing guidance before hospital visits.
The technology, powered by the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, enables 24/7 access to medical information through smartphones, tablets, or computers. Patients can receive preapproved answers about procedures, including specific details about anesthesia and recovery processes.
At The Ottawa Hospital, where implementation is underway, the digital assistant has shown promising results in early testing.
The system incorporates several advanced technologies, including NVIDIA NIM microservices and ACE for creating lifelike digital humans, and NVIDIA Riva for multilingual communication. It can understand diverse accents and languages, ensuring accessibility for a broad patient population.
Recent user acceptance testing conducted this summer showed that a majority of testers found the AI assistant's responses clear, relevant, and effective in meeting their needs. The Ottawa Hospital plans to launch a patient-facing pilot by the end of this year.