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November 20, 2025
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On this episode of The Digital Patient, Dr. Joshua Liu, Co-founder & CEO of SeamlessMD, and colleague, Alan Sardana, chat with Dr. Karl Kochendorfer, Assistant Vice Chancellor and CHIO at UI Health, about "The Real Path to AI-augmented Clinical Messaging, The Role of LLMs for Patient Interactions, How AI can actually make Clinicians More Human, and more..." Click the play button to listen or read the show notes below.
Audio:
Guest(s):
- Dr. Karl Kochendorfer, Assistant Vice Chancellor and CHIO at UI Health
- Dr. Joshua Liu, Co-founder & CEO at SeamlessMD
Episode 203 - Show Notes:
[00:00:07] Episode preview
[00:04:36] How early coding sessions with his father and a pivotal conversation with his brother from Carnegie Mellon set Dr. Kochendorfer on a lifelong path to combine computers and medicine.
[00:06:10] How a top-tier computer science education at UIUC followed by formative technical roles at Baxter Healthcare where he deferred med school shaped his approach to blending engineering with clinical work.
[00:07:45] Why initial aspirations in radiology shifted after an NIH informatics elective and clinical rotations, leading him to family medicine for its patient relationships, variety, and alignment with his strengths.
[00:10:44] "Standing on the shoulders of giants” in informatics, and how decades of foundational AI work are now enabling meaningful progress as modern generative tools reach the bedside.
[00:12:40] Why Gen AI is improving point-of-care search while still requiring “trust but verify,” illustrated by a real example of an AI system confidently providing him an incorrect benefits explanation.
[00:17:00] How Dr. Kochendorfer has used LLMs directly with his patients to promote transparency and humility, while acknowledging the need for human oversight as patients cannot independently assess AI accuracy.
[00:18:39] What UI Health learned from an early AI message-draft error involving an incorrect medication name, and how the experience strengthened safeguards and highlighted the value of AI-enhanced empathy in patient communication.
[00:25:28] Why patient-facing AI messaging will evolve gradually, with transparency and decreasing human edits paving the way for selective autonomy in low-risk interactions.
[00:27:38] His view that automating simpler clinical tasks is not a threat but a benefit—freeing clinicians to focus on high-touch, complex, human-centered care that technology cannot replace.
[00:30:03] How the CREATE-WISDOM initiative works to build equitable AI through diverse datasets and community engagement, and why clinician education remains essential as AI tools proliferate in practice.
[00:39:47] What Dr. Kochendorfer looks for in early-stage founders—the personal “why” that sustains them through long healthcare cycles—and the recurring blind spots he sees around workflow complexity and required EHR integration.
[00:42:44] How he advises startups to navigate the risk of EHR vendors building competing features, and why solutions must be cross-platform and distinctive to survive.
[00:43:17] The one belief Dr. Kochendorfer holds that many underestimate: how AI will dramatically reshape healthcare work—especially administrative burdens—and should ultimately allow clinicians to deliver more holistic patient care.
Fast 5 Lightning Round:
- What is your favorite book or book you’ve gifted the most?
Switch by Chip and Dan Heath - If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?
Scholarly writing. - Would you rather have Super strength, super speed, or the ability to read people’s minds?
Mind reading. - What is something in healthcare you believe that others might find insane?
"We still have a long way to go in teaching and modeling holistic care… including the spiritual side of patients." - What is the last movie or TV show you saw?
House of Dynamite.
The Digital Patient has been recognized as Feedspot's #1 Patient Engagement Podcast of 2025. Thank you to our listeners for making this happen!
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