AI assistant slashes waiting times in a busy Shanghai children’s hospital.

Long waits and crowded clinics are common frustrations for families visiting children’s hospitals in China. At Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, researchers tested whether an artificial intelligence (AI) outpatient assistant could help speed up visits and improve the experience for families.

In a randomised trial with 626 paediatric patients, the AI tool—nicknamed Smart-doctor—guided parents through an electronic pre-consultation, recommending initial tests before they saw a physician. Children in the AI group waited a median of 8.8 minutes to see a doctor, compared with 21.8 minutes in the usual care group. Total visit time dropped from a median of 110 minutes to just 40 minutes, and parents reported 17.5% higher satisfaction scores

Importantly, the AI’s test recommendations matched physician standards more than 85% of the time and did not increase unnecessary tests or costs.

The study shows that AI can do more than just triage—it can re-engineer outpatient workflows to free up doctors, reduce queues, and cut costs. While the trial focused on common paediatric conditions like coughs and diarrhoea, the authors note that AI systems like this could help hospitals allocate scarce resources and lower infection risks by reducing time spent in crowded waiting areas.

Reference:
 Li X, Tian D, Li W, et al. Using artificial intelligence to reduce queuing time and improve satisfaction in pediatric outpatient service: A randomized clinical trial. Front Pediatr. 2022;10:929834. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.929834