The Application of Artificial Intelligence Could Improve Primary Health Care Provision in China

Recent advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and increased availability of digital clinical data provide an opportunity to apply AI to primary health care provision in China. The lack of effective information exchange and patients' two-way referral mechanism, unfair user fee schedules for primary care and specialist care, low rating on care quality from primary care physicians, and ailing doctor-patient relationship are major challenges faced by primary health care in China. All of these drive patients to attend specialist care directly in secondary or tertiary hospitals. The application of AI would assist primary care physicians to provide better care in terms of examination, diagnoses and prescriptions and care planning. This would improve patients'confidence in primary care services and attract patients to choose primary care service. The application would contain health costs, increase the efficiency and transparency of medical system and narrow geographical gaps in medical resources. It would also offset the lack of quality and quantity of primary care physicians, improve doctor-patient relationship, and better primary care in China.