Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize the medical field, and doctors are already embracing its potential. One early adopter, Dr. Michael Mansour, is testing an AI-enhanced database called UpToDate that helps doctors access targeted information for making diagnoses. This Google for doctors has over 2 million users worldwide and provides access to a vast database of expert-written articles. However, Mansour wishes the results could be more specific, and that’s where generative AI comes in. An experimental version of UpToDate uses AI to refine search results and provide more targeted information.
Wolters Kluwer Health, the company behind UpToDate, is working on incorporating AI to create a conversational experience with the database. The goal is for doctors to ask questions and have the AI understand the context and guide them through, similar to consulting a master clinician. While the program is still in beta testing, there are challenges to overcome. There have been instances where the AI program made errors and even cited nonexistent journal articles. However, once these issues are resolved, AI has tremendous potential in the medical field. It’s already being used in radiology to assist with CT scans and X-rays.
AI can also help doctors by combing through and summarizing a patient’s medical history before an appointment, saving time and providing useful insights. In some cases, AI may even enable primary care physicians to handle cases without specialist intervention, freeing up specialists to focus on more complex situations. Although AI still needs improvement, a study found that an AI program called ChatGPT was 77% accurate in making final diagnoses when provided with sufficient information. The goal is for AI to become a trusted medical tool, similar to a stethoscope.
Dr. Mansour hopes that AI will allow doctors to spend more time with patients by reducing the time spent searching for information. The patient-doctor relationship has become strained as doctors face increased workloads, and AI has the potential to alleviate some of that pressure. While AI won’t replace doctors, those who embrace its capabilities will outperform their counterparts who do not. The future of medicine is looking bright, thanks to AI.
So, what do you think about AI’s potential in the medical field? Will it truly enhance patient care and the doctor-patient relationship? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
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