What You Should Know:
– Included Health has launched “Dot,” a new intelligent AI assistant designed to move beyond generic medical advice by leveraging deep integrations with member claims, benefits, and clinical data.
– Refined on over ten billion AI tokens, the platform utilizes a “clinician-in-the-loop” model, ensuring that automated guidance is backed by real-time oversight from medical experts. The “AI+EQ” approach aims to proactively nudge patients toward preventive care and handle complex administrative tasks, redefining the intersection of artificial intelligence and patient experience.
Included Health Debuts ‘Dot’: An AI Assistant Trained on 10 Billion Tokens to Personalize Healthcare
In the rush to integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) into the medical sector, the industry has hit a familiar wall: generic, disconnected advice. While chatbots are efficient, they often lack the context of a patient’s medical history or insurance reality. Today, Included Health aims to dismantle that barrier with the launch of Dot, an intelligent AI assistant that prioritizes context over conversation speed.
Processing over ten billion AI tokens during its refinement phase with major national employers, Dot represents a pivot from “efficiency-first” AI to “experience-first” AI. By combining deep data integration with a rigorous human safety net, the platform attempts to solve the “last mile” problem in digital health: moving a patient from a query to a clinical outcome.
Moving Beyond the “Wrapper”
Most consumer-facing health AI tools function as “wrappers” around public LLMs—they can define a symptom, but they don’t know who you are. Dot differentiates itself by operating on a foundation of deeply integrated data.
According to the announcement, the system ingests and analyzes:
- Claims and benefits data: Understanding exactly what a member is covered for.
- Systemwide utilization cost patterns: Identifying cost-effective care pathways.
- Proprietary physician-quality models: Matching patients to high-performing doctors.
- Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): Contextualizing care based on a member’s environment.
“Unlike mass-market chatbots that offer generic advice, Dot operates on a deep understanding of each member,” said Nupur Srivastava, Chief Operating Officer at Included Health. “It’s AI designed not just to suggest the next step, but to help you take it — confidently and with care.”
The Safety Valve: Clinician-in-the-Loop
The primary hesitation for enterprise adoption of health AI remains safety and accuracy. Included Health addresses this via a “clinician-in-the-loop” architecture. While the AI handles longitudinal navigation and triage, it is engineered with seamless handoffs to in-house medical experts.
This hybrid model allows the AI to handle administrative friction—scheduling, referrals, and benefits questions—while human clinicians step in for complex medical opinions or acute care needs.
“It’s one thing to use AI to drive efficiency in broken systems — it’s another to use it to reimagine how people can get the very best from healthcare,” noted Dr. Ami Parekh, Chief Health Officer at Included Health. “In our model, Dot is part of a team that’s building a new era of trust.”
The “AI+EQ” Strategy
The launch underscores a broader strategic shift Included Health terms “AI+EQ” (Artificial Intelligence plus Emotional Intelligence). The goal is to move from reactive healthcare (treating the sick) to proactive engagement (keeping members healthy).
Looking ahead, the company plans to utilize Dot to generate proactive “nudges.” Instead of waiting for a patient to search for a doctor, Dot will engage at-risk individuals to schedule preventive screenings or support adherence to care plans. By handling the logistical burden of appointments and referrals, the platform aims to reduce the “admin tax” that often discourages patients from seeking care.
