Telehealth Can Read the Face. Can It Protect the Patient? | Opinion
Summary
Telehealth services are growing, especially for mental health patients, but doctors may struggle to fully understand patients through video alone. Researchers are exploring if artificial intelligence (AI) can help by reading facial expressions to better interpret emotions, though privacy and accuracy concerns remain.Key Facts
- Over half (52.1%) of telehealth visits in early 2026 involved mental health conditions.
- About 36% of patients worried about data security and privacy during online therapy.
- Nonverbal cues like facial expressions and eye contact help doctors understand patients but are harder to read through video calls.
- Some studies link behaviors like nodding and leaning forward with good communication in telehealth.
- Emotional AI uses technology to analyze facial movements and voice to identify possible feelings.
- AI should assist doctors, not replace their judgment, since facial cues don’t always show true emotions.
- There are concerns about privacy and the misuse of emotional AI for surveillance or control.
- The European Union restricts some AI tools that guess emotions in workplaces but allows exceptions for healthcare.
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