Embracing Digital Transformation

Episode #319 – From Telemedicine to AI: A New Era in Medicine

Host: Dr. Darren Pulsipher
Guest: Dr. Ami Bhatt, Chief Innovation Officer, American College of Cardiology
Release Date: January 22, 2026

Overview

In this rich and insightful episode, Dr. Darren Pulsipher welcomes Dr. Ami Bhatt to explore how medicine is undergoing transformative change, driven by digital technologies such as telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI). The conversation moves from personal stories to systemic challenges and the promise that AI holds for improving patient outcomes—if implemented with wisdom and humanity. Dr. Bhatt shares her journey from hands-on cardiologist to a leader shaping medicine’s digital future, while both guests reflect candidly on the impacts of COVID-19, healthcare system limitations, and the cultural and technological realignments underway.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Dr. Ami Bhatt’s Background and Telemedicine’s Rise

• From Traditional Practice to Digital Innovation
  • Dr. Bhatt recounts her beginnings as a "boots on the ground" cardiologist practicing in a converted apartment, emphasizing personal connection and community (01:31).
  • Early adoption of telemedicine came out of necessity—her younger patients moved away or couldn’t afford regular visits, prompting adoption before COVID.
• COVID-19 as Catalyst
  • Pandemic forced rapid telemedicine adoption, making virtual cardiology possible almost overnight:

  "Desperation is the mother of adoption." – Dr. Ami Bhatt (08:08)

  • Shifted the focus from the "last mile" of care to the "first mile"—starting healthcare in the home (01:00, 05:14).

The Explosion of Medical Data and AI’s Emerging Role

• Unprecedented Growth in Research
  • Increase in funding and research activity led to an "explosion" of data—impossible for any one doctor to absorb (09:28).

  • “Today, you take any one subject in cardiology, there are more papers and research than you know what to do with. And there’s no way the human brain can parse through that.”
    – Dr. Ami Bhatt (08:10)

• Desperation for New Tools
  • AI becomes necessary to manage data overload and deliver cutting-edge care (09:09).

Patient-Clinician Relationship in an AI Era

• Fears about AI Replacing the Human Touch
  • Some worry AI will erode physicians’ intuition and patient connection.
  • Bhatt reassures: nuanced care, context, and edge cases still require human clinicians (11:19).

  • “It can’t do context, it can’t do nuance, it can’t do edge cases because there's just not enough of it to study. And so those are the elements that make the clinician-patient relationship what it is.”
    – Dr. Ami Bhatt (11:19)

The Promise and Pitfalls of AI in Medicine

• Efficiency vs. Outcomes
  • Current fee-for-service models incentivize volume, not quality or experience.
  • Dr. Bhatt calls for shifting metrics from mere efficiency to patient outcomes, satisfaction, and clinician quality of life (13:29).

  • “As we implement AI, I don’t want the metrics to be efficiency. I want it to be the outcomes of the patients. I want it to be the patient experience. I want it to be the clinician quality of work.”
    – Dr. Ami Bhatt (13:29)

• Value-Based Care and Policy Change
  • Highlighted the new CMS Access program piloting outcomes-based payments for preventative care (15:48).
  • Advocated for fiscal models that reward health, not just intervention.

How AI Can Truly Help — Three Key Areas

• 1. Administrative Efficiency
  • Automated documentation via voice-to-text, freeing clinicians to face their patients (18:21).
  • Reduces paperwork and bureaucracy—potential for humanizing interactions.
• 2. “Navigating to Knowledge,” Not Black-Box Decision-Making
  • AI should help clinicians access relevant research, not dictate care:

  “I don’t like the phrase 'clinical decision support'… I prefer the phrase 'navigating to knowledge.' I am still… the apex intelligence in the room. But we’ll get the right knowledge to that clinician faster.”
  – Dr. Ami Bhatt (20:01)

  • AI can also upskill rural and community health workers, improving triage and access (21:00).
• 3. Human–AI Collaboration (Collaborative Intelligence)
  • Studying how clinicians choose when to rely on AI and when to trust their expertise (22:35).

  • “There’s not a clear answer that this doctor will be better or worse [with GenAI]; it is unique to the situation and that clinician.”
    – Dr. Ami Bhatt (23:19)

  • Bhatt advocates for collaborative intelligence over “augmented,” emphasizing clinicians’ active role in shaping AI tools (24:41).

The Future: Specialized Medical AI Communities

• Need for Community-Trained AI
  • Discussed potential for specialty-specific AI models, trained on curated expert feedback rather than internet content (25:51).

  • “We want… how does the human experience affect those association of those words?... That’s what we’re aggressively kind of building towards.”
    – Dr. Ami Bhatt (27:24)

Healthspan over Lifespan

• Preventative Care and Longevity
  • Emphasized shifting focus from merely predicting disease to showing patients modifiable risk—what they can change for healthier, longer lives (28:30).

  • “You don’t want a prediction on what’s going to happen. You want a prediction on what you can modify so it doesn’t happen.”
    – Dr. Ami Bhatt (28:30)

  • Advocated for investing in “healthspan” (quality life years), not just lifespan (29:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Human Side of Telemedicine (01:00):

  “I’ve come full circle. When I first started, I was in an office that felt like a home. I had families coming in. And now I’m actually enabling care that takes healthcare back to the home where people live. And it’s not the last mile, it’s the first mile of healthcare starts.” – Dr. Ami Bhatt

• On COVID as a Catalyst (08:08):

  “Desperation is the mother of adoption.” – Dr. Ami Bhatt

• On Technology and Humanism (20:01):

  “I am still… the apex intelligence in the room. But we’ll get the right knowledge to that clinician faster and more thoroughly… and then allow me to make the best decision I can for you.” – Dr. Ami Bhatt

• On the Need for Collaborative Intelligence (24:41):

  “I prefer the phrase collaborative intelligence… When the AI is being designed, we need clinicians at the table.” – Dr. Ami Bhatt

• On AI for Prevention, Not Just Prediction (28:30):

  “You don’t want a prediction on what’s going to happen. You want a prediction on what you can modify so it doesn’t happen.” – Dr. Ami Bhatt

Important Segment Timestamps

• Dr. Bhatt’s Origin Story & Early Telemedicine (01:31 – 05:14)
• COVID-19 as a Digital Health Catalyst (05:45 – 08:10)
• Explosion of Data and AI’s Necessity (09:09 – 10:43)
• Balancing AI, Intuition, and Patient Relationships (11:19 – 13:29)
• Fee-For-Service Flaws & Value-Based Care (13:29 – 15:48)
• CMS “Access” Preventative Care Pilot (15:48 – 17:44)
• Role of AI: Admin Tasks, Clinical Support, Collaboration (18:21 – 23:56)
• Human-AI Interaction Studies (22:35 – 24:41)
• Community-Trained GenAI Models (25:51 – 27:24)
• Healthspan vs. Lifespan & the Future (28:30 – 30:08)

Summary Table: Dr. Bhatt’s Three AI Opportunity Zones

| Area | Example Use Cases | Intended Benefit | |----------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| | Admin Efficiencies | Voice note-taking, automating forms | More clinician-patient face time | | Navigating to Knowledge | AI summarizes literature for clinicians | Faster, context-rich decision-making | | Collaborative Intelligence | Human-in-the-loop feedback, specialty AIs | Safe, dynamic, and improving AI tools |

Final Resources and Contact

• Dr. Ami Bhatt:
  LinkedIn: Ami Bhatt, MD (check for exact username)
  Website (forthcoming): dramnybot.com

This episode offers a nuanced, deeply human look at digital transformation in medicine, balancing optimism for new technologies with an unwavering focus on patient care and clinician empowerment. It’s essential listening for anyone interested in the evolving shape of healthcare.