March 15, 2023
ChatGPT may have a big impact on healthcare. Robert Pearl, MD, recently shared insights on this with Forbes. Here are the highlights.
Emulating How Doctors Make Clinical Decisions
Right now, the biggest difference between how doctors solve problems and how AI technology does is that doctors can take the additional step of asking the patient clarifying questions and ordering testing. “Next generations of generative AI will be able to complete this step (or at least recommend the appropriate laboratory and radiology tests). Already, Microsoft’s new AI-powered interactive chat feature can ask iterative questions and learn from the conversations,” Dr. Pearl writes.
Providing 24/7 Medical Assistance
“Unlike a solo doctor, next generations of generative AI will be able to monitor patients 24/7 and provide ongoing medical expertise. Doing so would help patients prevent chronic illnesses like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, and minimize their deadly complications, including heart attacks, strokes and cancer,” Dr. Pearl predicts. “This service would cost just pennies a day (ideal at a time when chronic diseases contribute to 90 percent of all healthcare expenditures).”
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Preventing Medical Errors
“Next generations of ChatGPT with video capability will be able to observe doctors and nurses, compare their actions to evidence-based guidelines and warn clinicians when they’re about to commit an error,” writes Dr. Pearl. “This advancement would prevent nearly all medication errors, as well the majority of hospital-acquired infections, pneumonia and pressure ulcers.”
Helping All Doctors Perform Like Best
“Once ChatGPT is connected to bedside patient monitors, and can access laboratory data and listen to physician-patient interactions, the application will begin to predict the optimal set of clinical steps,” Dr. Pearl explains. “Each time it compares those decisions against the clinical notes and orders of attending physicians in the electronic health record, ChatGPT will learn and improve.”
