New AI tools are helping doctors communicate with their patients, some by answering messages and others by taking notes during exams. It’s been 15 months since OpenAI released ChatGPT. Already thousands of doctors are using similar products based on large language models. One company says its tool works in 14 languages.
AI saves doctors time and prevents burnout, enthusiasts say. It also shakes up the doctor-patient relationship, raising questions of trust, transparency, privacy and the future of human connection.
A look at how new AI tools affect patients:
IS MY DOCTOR USING AI?
In recent years, medical devices with machine learning have been doing things like reading mammograms, diagnosing eye disease and detecting heart problems. What’s new is generative AI’s ability to respond to complex instructions by predicting language.
Your next check-up could be recorded by an AI-powered smartphone app that listens, documents and instantly organizes everything into a note you can read later. The tool also can mean more money for the doctor’s employer because it won’t forget details that legitimately could be billed to insurance.
Your doctor should ask for your consent before using the tool. You might also see some new wording in the forms you sign at the doctor’s office.
Other AI tools could be helping your doctor draft a message, but you might never know it.
“Your physician might tell you that they’re using it, or they might not tell you,” said Cait DesRoches, director of OpenNotes, a Boston-based group working for transparent communication between doctors and patients. Some health systems encourage disclosure, and some don’t.
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