Logan Hall is an Emmy award-winning reporter who joined WBZ-TV in November 2024.

If you're a patient of Mass General Brigham, AI may help connect you to a new physician. With two-year waitlists for a primary care provider, the organization is using AI to bridge the gap

When Rocco Giuliano's primary care doctor left Mass General Brigham last year, he looked for a new physician. Running low on his blood pressure medication, Giuliano needed help.

"I was told that it could take up to two years to get a new PCP, and that left me in a bind," Giuliano said.

Instead of waiting, he turned to his iPad and logged onto "Care Connect," a new app launched by Mass General Brigham in September. Within a day, Giuliano was virtually connected with a doctor who knew his medical history and was able to refill his prescriptions.

Mass General Brigham said, "Care Connect addresses critical gaps in primary care access and continuity, particularly for patients who do not currently have a long-term relationship with a primary care provider."

The lack of primary care is a problem across Massachusetts. According to the state's Health Policy Commission, in 2023, 41% of Massachusetts residents reported difficulty accessing care.

What Giuliano didn't realize was that artificial intelligence had played a role in his care. Before his appointment, the system used AI to triage his symptoms, gather background information and match him with the right provider.

"I didn't even know AI was involved. It was totally invisible to me," he said.

Mass General Brigham stated that the app is designed to "address critical gaps in primary care access and continuity, particularly for patients who do not currently have a long-term relationship with a primary care provider."

MGB doctors, who are in the process of unionizing, worry that AI's growing presence in health care could pose new risks.

"It raises some pretty serious safety concerns," said Dr. Andrew Warren, who works for MGB. "Who's doing the oversight for this? How is this data the patients are giving being used?"

For Giuliano, though, the experience was reassuring rather than alarming.

"I was pleasantly surprised that within less than 24 hours, I was on the phone with an actual human being," he said. "I don't feel like I've been left in the hands of some evil AI entity. I'm dealing with a human being."

Mass General Brigham is banking on AI to help patients find a doctor