The Role of AI in Diagnosing Rare Diseases and Enhancing Clinical Decision-Making | Dr. Daria Yang

Rethinking Healthcare Tech & Insurance: My Conversation with Dr. Darya Yang

Hey everyone,

Dr. Rob Beck here, and this week’s adventure took me somewhere new—not just geographically (hello from the Prosecco hills of Italy!), but also via a great conversation on Dr. Darya Yang’s podcast, Rave, Crave, Stave. Dr. Yang and I got to dive deep into tech, AI, and the frustrations and hopes we share as physicians navigating today’s healthcare system. Here’s what stood out for me—broken down the way my mind naturally organizes all the chaos.

Technology That Works For Us: Where AI Shines

When I say I crave good tech, I mean it. What’s made a difference lately?

• Open Evidence AI:

  • Access to peer-reviewed, evidence-based best practices.

  • Can chat with it like ChatGPT but focused on medicine.

  • Helps expand differential diagnoses with nuance—like having a specialist on call any time (especially handy at 2 AM).

  • Avoids misinformation and “Dr. Google” pitfalls patients often encounter.

• Ambient Listening Tech in Clinic/Hospital:

  • Having a scribe in the room was a game changer. When AI listens and helps document so I can focus on the patient, everybody wins.

  • It doesn’t replace the human touch; it enhances it. Real conversation, real attention, less screen-staring.

What I Crave: The Dream Tech That’s STILL Missing

There’s tech I love, and then there’s the tech I wish existed:

• AI that Scans ALL Patient Data Instantly:

  • Imagine an AI that’s automatically reviewing every new scan, lab, or test and suggesting next steps, reminding me of critical findings, or pulling up that one tricky echo from three years ago.

  • Handles benign but vital reminders, like recalling a patient’s overdue cancer follow-up or an incidental finding that needs surveillance.

  • Offloads that cognitive burden, so errors and missed follow-ups become much less likely.

• Integration across Systems & Outpatient Care:

  • Following up on patients after ER visits or critical results is often where things fall through the cracks. An AI assistant keeping track for both me AND the patient would be a huge relief.

What Needs to Go: Outdated Tech and Complicated Insurance

Okay, if I could wave a magic wand and ax one thing right now, it wouldn't be the fax machine (I mean, please, yes, also that)—it would be the complex web that is health insurance in the U.S.

• Health Insurance as “Technology”:

  • Layers and layers of inefficiency, paperwork, prior authorizations, denials—none of it makes care better.

  • Patients don’t get real choice; doctors don’t get real autonomy.

  • Surprise billing is still rampant, with patients caught between “in-network” and “out-of-network” and facing monstrous bills.

  • No AI or human system should make life harder in medicine—we need tools that let us focus on care, not bureaucracy.

• The Canadian Perspective:

  • Practicing in Canada, I realized: doctors are trusted to make decisions. There are still checks and balances, but I finally feel I can just practice medicine, not fight a daily insurance battle.

Reflections & Real Talk

• Good tech should make us better—more human, more present, more connected with our patients.

• Tech shouldn’t add complexity for complexity’s sake. If it does, it’s time to go.

• As physicians, we are already THE most vetted, credentialed, and scrutinized professionals out there. Trust us to do our jobs, and let technology enhance—not inhibit—our purpose.

Closing Thoughts

I’d love to hear your takes. Are you using AI in your practice? Have you had your own insurance horror stories? Is there a dream tech solution you wish someone would build? Drop me a message or keep the conversation going on the Interesting MD Podcast.

And, if someone wants to sponsor my Italian Prosecco Hills lifestyle, you know where to find me.

Stay engaged, stay curious, and keep fighting the good fight.

— Rob