A survey of primary care physicians in the U.K. found that over 20% use AI tools for treatment suggestions.
ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool among the doctors surveyed.
While AI can “provide more detailed documentation than typing or dictation,” the tools are “prone to creating erroneous information,” the study says.
The study’s authors noted that using AI in the health industry may “undermine patient privacy since it is not clear how the internet companies behind generative AI use the information they gather.”
More than 1,000 physicians were surveyed for the study. Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed reported that they used AI for documentation following patient appointments. Twenty-eight percent said they use AI to suggest diagnoses.
Associate Professor at Uppsala University and lead researcher of the study Dr. Charlotte Blease said, “While there is much talk about the hype of AI, our study suggests that the use of AI in healthcare is not just on the horizon — it’s happening now. Doctors are deriving value from these tools.”
“The medical community must act swiftly to address the ethical and practical challenges for patients that generative AI brings,” Blease noted.
