Digitalization of health and conversational agents: The new role of artificial intelligence in the patient journey
Artificial intelligence is transforming the first contact point for people with health questions or symptoms in Mexico. Attracted by immediacy and the possibility of obtaining answers in plain language, patients are increasingly turning to conversational platforms, presenting the fundamental challenge of transitioning from mere information searches to timely and safe professional medical care.
From the eighth to the third source of medical consultation
According to the study The Mexican digital patient 2025, conducted by FUNSALUD, artificial intelligence tools experienced an exponential leap, positioning themselves as the third most used source for consulting health information in the country, ranked only below general search engines and specialized websites. This advancement contrasts with the position recorded in 2024, when AI ranked eighth in users' search preferences. Furthermore, the data reveals that 65% of Mexican patients are already using digital tools before consulting a specialist.
Launch of "Nova" and the proposal from Doctoralia Mexico
In the face of this changing habit, Doctoralia —a platform that connects patients with over 390,000 healthcare professionals in the country and is part of Docplanner Group— introduced Nova to the Mexican market, a conversational artificial intelligence agent designed to guide the search for specialists.
The key features of this solution include:
- Interaction in plain language: Allows users to describe symptoms, locations, or insurers to receive a personalized selection of relevant professionals.
- Transparency in recommendations: Explains to the patient the reasons why each profile matches their specific requirement.
- Assistance, not diagnosis: Nova does not issue diagnoses or recommend medical treatments, but strictly acts as a bridge to facilitate scheduling and consultation.
In this regard, Adrián Alcántara, General Director of Doctoralia Mexico, emphasized the strategic vision behind the development:
"Artificial intelligence opens new possibilities to make this experience more natural, but always as a tool that accompanies, and does not replace, the relationship between patients and health professionals. This evolution is not about adding functionalities but about strengthening continuity, transparency, and sustainability in care."
Comprehensive ecosystem: Payments, records, and clinical visualization
The evolution of the platform seeks to address the fragmentation of the sector through transactional and long-term follow-up solutions:
- Financial inclusion in consultations: In light of the findings from the study Health Outlook 2026 by Doctoralia, where 26% of patients report that they often cannot pay with a card during their consultations, the app has integrated digital payments for before and after the appointment.
- Medical summaries with AI: A centralized digital file allows for storing documents, while AI generates summaries with key information to facilitate more informed conversations during medical consultations.
- Follow-up and family profiles: Incorporates graphical visualization of lab results with alerts for out-of-range values and family profiles to manage appointments and records of dependents from a single account.
From the perspective of next+, let us consider that the integration of AI agents like Nova in the healthtech sector marks a critical transition: technology ceases to be a passive search channel and becomes an assisted navigation infrastructure. In a market where informal self-diagnosis on the internet can lead to self-medication or delays in care, the ability to connect everyday language with verified medical profiles and transactional tools (payments and digital records) enhances the efficiency of the health ecosystem. For organizations in the medical industry, the key to digital transformation will lie in using AI to reduce operational frictions without compromising clinical judgment or the centrality of the physician.