Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The rise of generative AI in health care: Here’s what you need to know

Anil Saldanha
Tech
March 21, 2023
Share
Tweet
Share

It has been an exciting several weeks for AI enthusiasts worldwide, particularly those in health care.

OpenAI recently released GPT-4, a major upgrade over ChatGPT. Microsoft updated Bing search engine and Office365 business applications Word, Powerpoint, and Excel will run on GPT-4. Google announced PaLM API and MakerSuite, which enables developers to experiment with Large Language Models (LLM), whereas MakerSuite allows quick prototypes.

These generative AI announcements from OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google have raised interest around the world. The latest AI news surrounding health care has ignited conversations around AI replacing your doctors and the possibilities of robot doctors.

Many question whether doctors and all health care practitioners need to be scared for their jobs in the future.

Research shows the results of AI attempts to pass the United States Medical Licensing Exams. Google’s version 2 of Med-PaLM performed at an “expert” doctor level, scoring 85 percent on the USMLE Practice Test. The models were tested against 14 criteria, including scientific factuality, precision, medical consensus, reasoning, bias, and harm, and verified by clinicians worldwide. GPT-4 successfully passed the three parts of USMLE, but barely.

As a trained technologist with experience in AI-related technologies and now focused on innovation in health care, I do not believe AI is ready to be our only doctor.

At my hospital, vendors pitch the latest AI-driven technology solutions to solve different challenges in health care. Evaluation becomes difficult as the use of AI technologies shields deficiencies in the solution, and it is difficult to gauge if the problem is actually solved.

The use of AI in health care can be helpful in two realms: diagnostic AI and symptom checker AI.

Research on the diagnostic AI front shows AI can detect breast cancer that radiologists miss. It is likely the majority of image diagnosis will go the AI route, with radiologists doing the final approval. This certainly raises a concern for radiologists as health systems may require fewer of them.

The symptom checker AI world is still in a dangerous terrain. It can be fatal to let AI diagnose medical issues without clinical supervision. While clinicians routinely ask patients to stop using Dr. Google to diagnose symptoms, it is becoming increasingly difficult to forbid patients from using the internet for seeking medical information based on their symptoms.

My primary care doctor recently ordered blood and urine tests for my annual physical. The test results showed a few values that were outside the normal range.

Google searches on those individual test values yielded varying levels of potential diseases and medical issues. It was concerning. But I trusted my doctor’s expert opinion and waited. After reviewing the test results, my doctor informed me that the results were fine keeping my age and overall health in perspective.

An experienced and trained primary care doctor can never be replaced by an artificial computing entity. Still, generative AI can assist primary care doctors in creating after-care visit notes.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to the American Academy of Medical Colleges, physicians are learning to partner with Dr. Google. An informed patient can be helpful for a well-designed care plan. This becomes important over time as the search engines (Google and Bing) are fully driven by AI models. In the future, patients will be talking to AI bots to diagnose symptoms, searching for health care providers, comparing therapeutics, and declaring outcomes.

Based on my informal conversations, many doctors and nurses are not necessarily losing sleep over generative AI. Many confer AI should be used for clinical or diagnostic support, but patients should never use AI as their first line of clinical care.

AI can assist clinicians by reducing administrative burdens. Administrative burden takes time away from patients. Examples include paperwork and prior authorization associated with care.

The U.S. Surgeon General has raised alarms over health worker burnout. A 2022 Mayo Clinic survey showed doctors were exhibiting symptoms of burnout with a major cause being increasing amounts of paperwork. AI can help with innovative methods of reducing paperwork with better data interoperability and electronic assistance. Microsoft’s latest DAX Express announcement is moving in this direction.

Prior authorization is a huge administrative burden that can harm patients. According to a 2022 American Medical Association survey, 88 percent of physicians report that the burden associated with prior authorization is high or extremely high. Another 33 percent of physicians report that prior authorization has led to a serious adverse event for their patients. Using AI in this process will greatly reduce the administrative burden for clinicians and help shorten care delays for patients.

The use of AI will only grow with time. Policymakers, administrators, practitioners, and all those in support roles in the health care industry need to figure out ways to partner with technology innovators to make meaningful use towards reducing administrative burden, eliminating repetitive tasks, making workflow improvements, aiding diagnostic support, and better patient education.

Medical professionals need AI to better do what they do best: treat patients and improve health care for all.

Anil Saldanha is a hospital executive.

Prev

Finding peace through surrender: a personal exploration

March 21, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

How medical student loan forgiveness can advance health equity [PODCAST]

March 21, 2023 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Health IT

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Finding peace through surrender: a personal exploration
Next Post >
How medical student loan forgiveness can advance health equity [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • How social media can help or hurt your health care career

    Health eCareers
  • Health care is not a service commodity

    Peter Spence, MD, MBA
  • Why the health care industry must prioritize health equity

    George T. Mathew, MD, MBA
  • Improve mental health by improving how we finance health care

    Steven Siegel, MD, PhD
  • 4 disturbing trends in health care

    Praveen Suthrum
  • The consequences of celebrity endorsements in health care

    Sheindel Ifrah

More in Tech

  • How Mark Twain would dismantle today’s flawed medical AI

    Neil Baum, MD and Mark Ibsen, MD
  • 9 domains that will define the future of medical education

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

    Sandra Johnson
  • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

    David Carmouche, MD
  • Why innovation in health care starts with bold thinking

    Miguel Villagra, MD
  • How self-improving AI systems are redefining intelligence and what it means for health care

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How Mark Twain would dismantle today’s flawed medical AI

      Neil Baum, MD and Mark Ibsen, MD | Tech
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

      Kara Pepper, MD | Physician
    • Graduating from medical school without family: a story of strength and survival

      Anonymous | Education

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How Mark Twain would dismantle today’s flawed medical AI

      Neil Baum, MD and Mark Ibsen, MD | Tech
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

      Kara Pepper, MD | Physician
    • Graduating from medical school without family: a story of strength and survival

      Anonymous | Education

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...