There you are—miles from the nearest town, parked somewhere beautiful, when something doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s a weird rash, a lingering cough, or that “Is this serious or not?” kind of question that always seems to come up at the worst time. When you’re traveling in an RV, getting quick, reliable medical advice isn’t always easy… and that’s exactly where new technology is stepping in.
Over the past few years, telehealth has become a go-to for many RVers. A quick video call, a prescription sent to a nearby pharmacy, and you’re back to enjoying your trip. But now, there’s something new entering the picture: AI-powered health tools. Amazon just rolled out its new health assistant through Amazon Health AI, designed to answer medical questions, guide care decisions, and even help connect you with real providers—all from your phone or laptop. For RVers who are often far from clinics or urgent care, that kind of access could be a game changer.
But, it also raises a big question: Would you trust it?
Maybe for you, the idea of typing symptoms into an AI tool feels no different than what you’ve already been doing for years—just faster and (hopefully) more accurate. For others of you, it’s a hard no. When it comes to your health, especially on the road where options can already feel limited, relying on a digital assistant instead of a real, in-person doctor can feel like a big leap.
There’s also the reality that not all situations are equal. Getting advice for a minor issue while you’re boondocking in the desert is one thing. Dealing with something more serious in a remote area is another. Maybe AI is great as a first step—but not something you’d fully rely on.
Still, as RV travel and technology continue to collide, this is likely just the beginning. Between expanding cell coverage, satellite internet like Starlink, and now AI-powered health tools, the idea of having “doctor-like” access from anywhere is becoming more real than ever.
So what about you? Would you feel comfortable relying on AI for medical advice while RVing? Please leave a comment after you vote.
MORE POLLS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Would you support surcharges for out-of-state or foreign campers at busy parks?
- To tell or not to tell: Would you tell other RVers about the ‘perfect’ campground?
- When RVing, do you collect souvenirs?
- How much of your RV’s floor is covered with wall-to-wall carpet?
- How often do you use physical guide/travel books to plan your trips?
- RV tire covers: Pros and cons— Do you use them?
RVT1257b
It’s just one additional source for advice, including a face to face with a live medical person.
AI is another rabbit hole.
Only if I were hallucinating.
I have found AI should mean Artificial Ignorance a lot of the time. Like some highly intelligent people I have met that have no common sense needed to live a normal life.
AI will only get better. At some point, enough people will realize how valuable it can be as an additional resource and not view it so cynically that it will become commonplace.
You are so right. But like anything new, you’re gonna have crybabies around for a while. Until it finally works for them. It will take a while, but eventually everyone will be onboard. Because they will not have much choice.
AI is great for gathering options, but I want those options vetted by a licensed medical practitioner before using them for treatment.
Medical professionals misdiagnose over 30% of the time. Remember that some docs were at the bottom of their class and took several attempts to pass licensing exams. Dr. J.
Pls cite the reliable souce for your statement.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK588113/
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/research-assesses-rates-causes-of-diagnostic-errors/
Well yeah “but” they still made “DR Kil dare🤔 as in any profession some top dog some barely even make.
Just wait until the “Doc” that was at the “bottom of their class”, rises to the “middle of the pack”, or better, because said “Doc” went out to party while AI “wrote” his/her research papers!
PRE-med classes are MEANT to be DIFFICULT so as to WEED-OUT lazy, uninspired, undedicated M.D. canditates!
JUST WAIT!!
Recalling all that “expert” advice during Covid which proved to be wrong, I wouldn’t trust AI much at all.
I still trust traditional killed-virus shots but not the mRNA experimental shots. Cloth masks didn’t prevent spreading. Churches shut but not liquor stores, pot dispensaries, BLM protests, etc. AI is of limited usefulness in medical diagnosis.
No to AI. I would just go online to “Mayoclinic.org” and get all of the info required for medically treating any ailment from a scratch to treating a disease.
Plus Cleveland Clinic. These are both large research system. Another is the University of Pittsburgh where the mRNA vaccine for covid was co-developed.
People will argue that it was an experimental drug, but they do nor realize how many other mRNA vaccines and different SARS strains there have been.
Yes, there have been some serious side affects from the Covid 19 vaccine, but just listen to all the side affects from other drugs being developed for other medical problem.
Case in point, the serious and often deadly affects from most of the weight loss drugs.
But it doesn’t stop people from using them.
Not a chance in Hades.
Being a Software engineer and know how software is written, I do not know the biases or knowledge of the programmer or the criteria in which the programmer wrote the program. Nor do I know how the programmer tested and verified the program, I would never trust anyone else’s program without such knowledge.
AI does not yet have the ability to discern the validity of the information it digests before rendering an opinion. It is an infant being pushed into maturity before it’s old enough. No, I would not trust a 5 year old HAL with my health.
Love the 2001 reference!
I didn’t respond to the poll as my opinion isn’t there. Yes, I would use AI, however certainly not one tied to Amazon! The last company I want having my medical info would be Amazon. I have used AI but from a small independent company that anonymizes.
As someone said before me, no way in hades I’m a retired nurse, iconoclast, & curmudgeon I’ve seen many misdiagnoses Doctors like anyone else can have huge blind spots Usually I research my symptoms before going to the dr(or np) tell them what I think it might be and the diagnostic tests I think may be needed There’sonly a few docs I put in the category of Doctors Who Know Things & Can Be Trusted
I’ve used it to translate MRI results for me and it’s right on when it came to my knee needing replacement, but it was on the fence about my torn rotator cuff, which turned out to be severely torn. So it’s not always right. Always follow up with a real doctor.