A new study evaluated the effectiveness of a bilingual AI-powered care agent in increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates among Spanish-speaking and English-speaking patients. Conducted at WellSpan Health in September 2024, the research analyzed 1,878 eligible patients who received AI-driven phone outreach encouraging them to complete a fecal immunochemical test (FIT). The results showed significantly higher engagement among Spanish-speaking patients, with an 18.2% FIT test opt-in rate compared to 7.1% among English speakers. Additionally, Spanish speakers had higher call connection rates (88.8% vs. 53.3%) and longer conversations with the AI agent. These findings suggest that AI-powered, language-concordant outreach can help address disparities in preventive healthcare by making screening more accessible to underserved populations.
Hippocratic AI, the company behind the AI care agent, funded the study as part of its broader mission to use generative AI to improve patient engagement. Co-founded by Munjal Shah, Hippocratic AI aims to leverage technology to enhance healthcare access, particularly for marginalized communities. The study’s results challenge concerns that AI-driven healthcare solutions might widen disparities, instead showing their potential to close gaps in care. While promising, the study also acknowledges limitations, such as the short duration and lack of follow-up on screening completion rates. Further research is needed to assess long-term outcomes and explore the broader scalability of AI-driven patient outreach.