Written by Dr Tarun Gupta, Chief Medical Officer – UK Protection, L&G
Ask most people what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is generally expected to bring to their job, organisation or industry and the default answer seems to be ‘greater efficiencies’. It’s like the ‘get out of jail free’ card for anyone with a veneer of understanding about AI. And while that answer might be accurate – and indeed a valuable application of AI – it doesn’t really tell you anything.
What we really wanted to know, as a provider of Group Income Protection, is what will AI bring not only to our industry, but also to UK society and the economy? What are the likely real-world applications in terms of population health and wellbeing? Or, to narrow that down, how will AI help more working-age people to remain happy, healthy and thriving at work? In turn, helping reduce absence, presenteeism and the risk of individuals falling out of employment altogether.
It’s with all of this in mind that we recently interviewed our prevention, early intervention and vocational rehabilitation partners. We wanted to gain a brief insight into their thoughts and experiences of AI. The goal was to learn what our employer clients and their respective workforces (whether insured or not in the case of some of the services below) can expect to see; both now and in the foreseeable future.
Interestingly, these interviews reveal a careful and considered balance between using AI to enhance accessibility, personalisation and outcomes, without sacrificing the human element.
Here are a few excerpts, including from an interview with experts at reinsurer Swiss Re.
Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs): personalisation & engagement
Dr Emelina Ellis, Chief Clinical Officer at Spectrum.Life, our EAP and Wellbeing Platform partner, told us that AI wasn’t new to them. It was already helping improve efficiency, personalising healthcare services and contributing to business growth. They have a dedicated Clinical AI team, which explores various AI use-cases, with a view to keeping at the forefront of healthcare technology innovation.
Dr Ellis explains: “Some of our product and service enhancements include AI-powered MatchTech technology, which revolutionised the way users are matched with clinicians. It has personalised the healthcare experience, ensuring patients get the care they need more quickly and efficiently, which has improved healthcare outcomes and operational efficiency.
“Also, our use of Large Language Models (LLMs) for first draft content translation – which is subsequently reviewed by our experts before finalisation – has expanded Spectrum.Life’s reach to multiple regions by offering localised content. This has allowed us to engage with our audience across diverse markets, increasing its user base and improving engagement.”
Virtual Cancer Support: Integrating digital tools with human-led care
Morgan Fitzsimons, Co-Founder & CCO at Perci Health, our virtual cancer clinic partner, says their approach integrates digital tools with human-led care, so that qualified specialists can focus on what they do best, namely caring for people.
She comments: “The most valuable capability AI will bring to Perci is its ability to anticipate the needs of those receiving their support and personalise care more effectively. By analysing large datasets from interactions, AI can identify patterns, predict clinical outcomes, and suggest tailored interventions.
“This proactive approach ensures we’re able to provide the right care at the right time, which is crucial for prevention, chronic condition management, and supporting return-to-work efforts. Additionally, AI will streamline routine tasks, such as administrative processes, freeing up our clinical team to focus on delivering high-quality, personalised care where it matters most.”
AI could help intermediaries ‘compare and contrast’ wellbeing support propositions
We also interviewed Swiss Re’s Doug Rix, Head of Global Underwriting Research & Development, and Keith Williams, Head of Group Risk UK & Ireland. Amongst other things, we asked what kind of AI innovations are currently being discussed in the industry.
Doug said the ability to use AI powered tools to compare contracts was already being evaluated and tested in some markets. Such tools could be used by intermediaries when comparing the options for clients from across the market.
Keith added that such software might also have applications in comparing and contrasting all the different wellbeing propositions that each Group Protection insurer now provides. “The use of comparison software…would make the consultant’s job a lot easier here [comparing wellbeing support propositions]. It would save a lot of time and resource. We can imagine that consultants are manually recording product coverage details currently.”
These excerpts are taken from the recently released final instalment of the third edition of L&G’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) report. To read more, go here.
