I bring healthcare to people's homes in Singapore. AI is changing home care, but it can't replace clinicians.

Business Insider

17 hours ago

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Shravan Verma, the cofounder and CEO of Speedoc, a Singapore-based health tech startup. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
As someone who has worked in both tertiary hospitals as well as some underserved environments, I saw the opportunity to create a virtual hospital that brings healthcare directly to where patients are, starting with their homes.
Why should access to hospital-grade care be dependent on geography or infrastructure? The home will become the new center of care, and AI will be the invisible infrastructure enabling this shift.
With AI software becoming more sophisticated and AI-enabled hardware becoming more accessible, care will become more personalized.
I see the future of home care as a hybrid, with AI-enabled self-care tools integrated into regulated, human-involved systems.
Singapore and the region are more ready than we think. In Singapore, we're already seeing strong policy alignment and public trust in digital systems. Even the patient mindset is maturing around receiving care outside traditional hospitals.
Embedded AI
AI is already a foundational layer of our operations. Our command center uses AI to triage patient cases, optimize our logistics for clinician dispatch, and even anticipate escalation risks.
For example, AI models continuously analyze data from devices like pulse oximeters, BP monitors, or even passive sensors. If a patient's vitals begin trending dangerously, clinicians are alerted before deterioration sets in. We've prevented emergency room visits this way.
The next phase is using AI for predictive care, orchestration, preempting deterioration in chronic patients, automating routine follow-ups, and eventually building an AI copilot for our clinicians.
Clinicians expect systems to support and not slow down their work.
Our nurses and doctors are asking for tools that reduce admin burden, triage smarter, and give them more actionable insights.
Patients, too, are increasingly comfortable with these digital touchpoints, but they do want these to feel personalized and intelligent.
Clinicians will be transformed, not replaced, by AI
AI will transform but not replace the clinician role, especially in home settings.
Their role becomes more relational as AI simplifies documentation and supports better decision-making.
AI can't replicate the presence, empathy, and nuanced judgment in uncertain or complex conditions. It can't speak with family and understand what's best for the patient.
AI can tell you — worst case — you're having a heart attack, but then what do you do about it?
I know the diagnosis of a heart attack, but I need to be sent immediately to a hospital, make sure that I get stented, and get the catheterization, which is still very human-driven.
Somebody also has to ensure continuity, ensure the administration of treatments and follow-ups, and ensure that the patients are improving as they're supposed to. Many of the conditions we treat at home also require IV drips, IV antibiotics, blood tests, and urine tests.
Lead with outcomes, not AI
Chatbots and AI tools can handle the first mile of care, but they must escalate to qualified professionals when needed.
We need to be vigilant about bias in training data and sometimes a lack of contextual nuances in understanding what a patient's condition is.
One of the key challenges with AI is confabulation, which is AI coming up with analysis or data that didn't exist for the patient. Governance, transparency, and auditability must be baked into every AI deployment.
When it comes to AI-driven home care, the key is not to lead with AI but with outcomes and convenience. Patients don't really ask, "Is this AI?" They ask, "Is this faster, safer, more personalized?"
When AI helps a patient get triaged within minutes or enables a nurse to show up at the right time with the right medication, that builds confidence.
The real unlock is making sure AI remains transparent, empathetic, and always augments, not replaces, the human touch.