Dr. Ari Bernstein Talks About How Medical Advancements Can Shape the Future of Humanity

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Medicine is changing all the time as technology improves. Long-Island based Internal Medicine physician Dr. Ari Bernstein, MD, believes that the more advancements we can make to our medical systems, the better. Currently, Dr. Bernstein works as a physician and member of the advisory board at Fruit Street Health and CovidMD. It started as a telemedicine diabetes prevention program. "I have a strong interest in entrepreneurship, and I'm passionate about improving the healthcare system," said Dr. Bernstein. "When I heard about the interactive features of Fruit Street Health, I knew I had to be involved."

Fruit Street Health asks patients to take a one-minute health assessment to determine if they're at risk for type 2 diabetes. If they are, they can access the company's 12-month weight loss program. This includes access to 26 video chat lessons with a registered dietitian, covering a wide range of health topics from healthy eating to stress management. Users can also talk to other participants during the program and encourage each other to create a healthy lifestyle.

Recently, Fruit Street Health has grown into something even bigger. They now are launching CovidMD, which allows patients to get remote treatment and advice for COVID-19. It's available online and in all 50 states. "Patients fill out a 1-minute risk assessment, then receive personalized information based on CDC guidelines," Dr. Bernstein said. "If the patient has symptoms, they can easily connect with a doctor via telemedicine who can answer their questions and help them figure out how to proceed."

"Right now, it's much safer to get online to talk to a doctor than it is to visit a doctor's office," he said. "This protects patients from getting sick and helps other people let go of their anxiety about possibly having the virus. It's a win-win."

Dr. Ari Bernstein thinks that telemedicine is the way forward. "I don't think it's always necessary for a patient to go into the doctor's clinic," he said. "Telemedicine makes it easier for doctors to see more patients and help with issues that don't require an office visit. It's more convenient for both parties and is often less expensive, too."

Telemedicine is becoming more and more popular and is now used in everything from COVID-19 screenings to other conditions. If we can continue to make these advancements, we can push medicine forward, making it more convenient for everyone to see a doctor when they need to.