Quest Diagnostics Adds AI to Explain Lab Results
Quest Diagnostics has introduced an AI companion, based on Google's Gemini, to help patients understand their lab results. The feature analyzes up to five years of personal lab data to explain results and identify potential health risks in plain language.
The new AI companion operates exclusively within Quest's secure and HIPAA-compliant MyQuest mobile app and portal, ensuring patient data remains protected. This design prevents the need to enter sensitive health information into public AI tools. Quest has a comprehensive cybersecurity program to safeguard patient information. This tool, developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, is one of the first large-scale applications of generative AI by a national laboratory provider. The partnership aims to use AI to create personalized health insights and improve patient engagement. In 2024 alone, Quest handled over 200 million test orders and managed more than 80 billion data points. Patients often struggle to understand numerical lab results, which can lead to anxiety and unnecessary calls to doctors. Studies have shown that a significant percentage of patients have difficulty interpreting whether their results are within the normal range. Limited health literacy and numeracy are major barriers to understanding these reports. The AI companion can help by defining complex medical terms and explaining what specific lab values mean. It also assists users in formulating questions to ask their healthcare providers, aiming to foster more informed discussions during appointments. However, the tool is for educational purposes only and cannot provide a diagnosis or medical advice. The use of AI in healthcare is a growing trend aimed at improving patient-provider communication and reducing administrative burdens. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are being used to answer patient questions, schedule appointments, and provide health information, which can lead to more efficient and empathetic patient interactions.
