Already today, one third of Americans use AI to get health advice and information, reports the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Experts are establishing national guidelines for the use of AI in different health care specialties. Sian Tsuei, who has worked on Canadian guidelines, has a lot to say about AI’s potential and its pitfalls, particularly in the area of primary care. He is a member of the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and an advisor on the Canadian Medical Association’s AI policy.
For sure, physicians should be careful about AI and ensure that it respects patients’ privacy. The question is how they choose AI. How do they distinguish among the different AI tools. How do they know they are respecting their patients’ privacy? Government oversight is not what it needs to be.
AI development should slow down, though it’s hard to see what will cause it to slow down. And, if it develops very quickly, people will not be prepared for it. The big concern is that AI advice might not be based on solid evidence. Yet, it is likely to steer people to action. A lot of people could get hurt.
Of course, it’s also true that a lot of people cannot afford to see a physician or are waiting a long time to see one. AI can fill that void at little to no cost. Is that worse than not getting any advice for an extended period? Tsuei favors not giving advice over having AI direct people to act in ways that are not evidence-based and could be deadly.
One of the benefits of AI is its note-taking, organizing and document-creating abilities organizing abilities, saving physicians a lot of administrative time. Another is AI’s ability to read medical images. AI can also make prescription renewal happen automatically.
Moreover, AI has been shown to help people with mental health problems. And, it can also help with surgery. AI has the potential to replace a lot of physicians and other clinicians. But, to improve health care efficiency, quality, equity and accessibility, there must be meaningful oversight of the AI.
Sometimes AI is smarter than we are, though it reasons differently. But, it’s also good at empathy, often better than physicians. The question becomes whether patients are willing to accept the AI’s empathy over a human’s.
Whether AI can bring down health care costs depends upon how it operates. If it can bill for its services just as physicians can, we won’t be saving money. Already, some physicians are adding an extra charge when they use AI, raising health care costs.
Tsuei believes that the tech industry is moving right along, with less concern than appropriate about all the AI risks. He also believes we can stop that tech train. How exactly?
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Artificial intelligence machines can prompt physicians to discuss end-of-life issues
- Beware: Your health information is not protected when you share it with AI
- AI is increasing health care costs
- UnitedHealth accused of preventing nursing home residents from getting needed hospital care
- Can AI help with medical advice?
