When 42,000 people get round-the-clock care from an AI chatbot, doctors finally get to do what they do best: treat patients, not shuffle forms.
That’s exactly what’s happening at Cedars-Sinai, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit healthcare giant that’s quietly changing how primary care works. In 2023, the organization rolled out CS Connect, an AI-powered virtual care platform designed to do the tedious parts of healthcare—patient intake, symptom checks, basic triage—so physicians can focus on real treatment.
Key takeaway:
- 42,000 patients used Cedars-Sinai’s CS Connect AI tool.
- Doctors save time on admin and paperwork.
- Study shows AI’s care guidelines sometimes outperform human recommendations.
- Remote patient monitoring and chronic care AI expansions are next.
Why AI at Cedars-Sinai?
Chief Medical Officer Caroline Goldzweig explains the push: in-person appointments often mean long wait times, and doctors are buried under administrative work. The goal? Use technology to widen access to care—without adding more strain on already stretched medical staff.
So, Cedars-Sinai partnered with K Health, a digital health company known for its AI-based symptom checkers. Together, they built CS Connect—a secure app and web platform that’s connected to Cedars-Sinai’s own medical records and systems.
How It Works
Imagine you’re feeling unwell at midnight. Instead of waiting days for an appointment, you open CS Connect on your phone. A chatbot greets you and starts asking smart, simple questions about your symptoms. It’s not just a checklist—it cross-references your answers with your medical records and cases of other patients with similar complaints.
Got a rash? The bot might ask for a photo. Sore throat? It’ll probe deeper, the way a doctor would—minus the wait time. When it’s done, the AI summarizes your health info and suggests a care plan.
Of course, the AI isn’t acting alone. Doctors review the data, double-check the diagnosis, and sign off before any treatment goes ahead. The AI isn’t replacing doctors—it’s taking busywork off their plate.
Does It Actually Help?
Apparently, yes.
In April 2025, Cedars-Sinai published a peer-reviewed study in the Annals of Internal Medicine comparing the AI’s recommendations to real doctors’ final treatment plans. The AI’s guidance was rated as “optimal” 77% of the time—better than the 67% score for physicians working alone.
One standout example? Recurring urinary tract infections. The AI spotted cases where antibiotic resistance could be an issue and recommended lab testing first. Doctors sometimes skipped the extra step—meaning infections could come back. The study suggests the AI is great at following medical guidelines to the letter, while physicians still adjust based on experience and patient nuance.
What’s Next?
Goldzweig is quick to point out that the study didn’t cover every possible health condition. Still, the early results are promising enough for Cedars-Sinai to double down.
The next step: expanding CS Connect’s AI tech to remote patient monitoring—especially for chronic conditions like high blood pressure. The vision is simple but ambitious: link urgent care, virtual visits, and even home-based care into a seamless, AI-enhanced network.
Conclusion
Cedars-Sinai’s CS Connect shows how smart AI can extend the reach of medical staff, cut patient wait times, and keep doctors focused on what only they can do: caring for people.
Whether you’re in L.A. or watching from afar, this experiment is worth noting. AI isn’t here to replace your doctor—it’s here to help them get back to being your doctor.