Antoine Keller, M.D.: Bridging Healthcare Gaps with AI

Antoine Keller, M.D., is a cardiovascular, endovascular and thoracic surgeon, and the founder of HeartSense, a non-profit program that addresses critical gaps in healthcare access within underserved communities through the innovative use of AI-driven digital tools. These communities — whether urban or rural — often lack physicians, nurse practitioners or even basic healthcare infrastructure.

In an interview with The Educated Patient, Keller explains that this lack of engagement in personal wellness leads to unchecked chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular conditions, which often escalate until patients require emergency interventions like treatment for heart failure.

His team leverages AI-enabled tools, such as Eko Health’s digital stethoscope, to reach these underserved populations. The stethoscope is used to screen for pathologic murmurs in patients who don’t have easy access to a doctor.

The program’s approach is twofold: empowering individuals to participate in their healthcare journey while expanding the healthcare workforce. By providing actionable diagnostic tools to non-medical personnel, patients can be screened for structural heart disease and seek timely care. This is particularly impactful because, according to Keller, a significant portion of people over age 61 in underserved areas show signs of heart disease, yet over half lack a regular physician or cardiologist.

However, challenges remain on both the patient and clinician sides. Patients may resist engaging with healthcare due to cultural, social or systemic mistrust, while clinicians often express concerns about the reliability and risks associated with AI recommendations. Doctors also face information overload as AI tools reveal more health data than current healthcare systems are equipped to manage. Despite these hesitations, Keller believes that broader adoption of AI in medicine is inevitable and necessary. He explains that just as electronic medical records were initially met with resistance but are now standard practice, AI will follow a similar trajectory — provided its rollout is thoughtful and inclusive.

Educating the public and alleviating concerns about emerging healthcare technologies can help to pave the way for a more inclusive, data-driven healthcare future.