AI, Communication and Better Patient Care: Inside a Dermatology Practice Using Weave, Podcast

By Doug Green "It's really touched so much of what we do and how we think about our practice and how we communicate. It's been amazing for us." In this follow-up to our earlier conversation with Weave CTO Abhi Sharma, we move from the technology strategy to the experience of an actual healthcare practice. Dr. Jeffrey Ellis, co-founder of Belaray Dermatology on Long Island, joins us to discuss how Weave has changed patient communication, front-office workflow and the way his practice is beginning to use AI. Ellis says the practice had reached a point where staff were juggling multiple systems at once. At one stage, employees had "seven different windows open" as they tried to manage calls, scheduling and other patient communications. At the same time, phones were constantly ringing, front-desk employees were serving patients in person while answering calls, and multiple callers could be waiting on hold. "It just wasn't good for anyone, for my staff or for patients," Ellis says. Weave helped consolidate those communications and move more routine interaction to text. Patients can text the office 24/7, with staff monitoring messages seven days a week. The platform is also used for appointment reminders, visit-specific instructions and post-visit outreach. Ellis says that shift has reduced pressure on the front desk while making it easier for patients to communicate with the practice. The impact can go beyond convenience. Ellis gives the example of a patient coming in for a full-body skin check while wearing nail polish. Because skin cancer can sometimes occur beneath fingernails or toenails, the practice wants patients to arrive prepared so those areas can be examined. Better reminders and pre-visit communication can therefore support a more complete exam and, ultimately, better patient care. AI is adding another layer. Ellis explains that an AI tool can review a very large number of conversations and surface the few that may need his attention. "That AI tool might listen to a thousand conversations and pull out three of them for me to review. I can review three conversations. I can't go through all of them." For a smaller independent practice, that can provide a level of quality oversight that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. The larger takeaway is that AI and better communications do not have to make healthcare less personal. In Ellis's experience, they can reduce administrative friction, give staff more time to focus on patients and help an independent practice deliver a more consistent patient experience.