Dr. Gautam Goel, an emergency physician at Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa, believes artificial intelligence could revolutionize emergency care. The technology, still in its early stages, offers hope for reducing deadly wait times while raising concerns among skeptics.
A Night Shift That Changed Everything
It was 10 p.m. when Dr. Goel began his shift. Reviewing patient charts, he noted about 15 individuals waiting, many for hours. One patient, a woman in her fifties with persistent headaches, had been waiting nine hours. When Goel entered her room, she stared blankly before seizing moments later. Staff rushed in, administered medication, and transferred her to the intensive care unit. Tragically, she died three months later.
Goel recalled the devastation. "This person was sick enough to have a seizure, and I didn't get that from the triage notes," he said. He believes the death could have been prevented with AI monitoring.
Emergency Room Crisis in Canada
Canada's ER wait times are ballooning. At Queensway Carleton, high-urgency patients wait an average of 6.3 hours, low-urgency five hours, and overall stays average 20.7 hours, according to Health Quality Ontario. Such delays can be fatal, placing immense strain on physicians.
Goel turned to Hero AI, an automation company that helps hospitals monitor high-risk patients in waiting rooms. The AI identifies patients needing immediate attention and alerts providers. "It can send a notification that 'this patient might benefit from certain care,'" Goel explained, noting it also helps advocate for those unable to speak for themselves.
Challenges and Potential
Triage nurses lack time to access past medical records for every patient. Goel called this an unrealistic ask. AI could fill the gap, but its full life-saving capacity remains unproven. While some, like Goel, are hopeful, others fear the technology's implications.
Pamela Wolff, a former Carleton University chemistry instructor, noted AI has infiltrated all aspects of life, including classrooms. The debate over its role in healthcare continues.
