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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is the most pivotal pragmatic change in how physicians interact with patients since the advent of the electronic health record (EHR). As health care grapples with a tremendous amount of provider burnout—and the resulting mass exit from the field—it is exciting to consider how generative AI could help restore the patient connections that energize so many physicians.
It is ironic to think that technology could revolutionize the human relationship between physicians and patients. However, suppose physicians no longer need to stare into a tablet or desktop monitor during patient visits. In that case, it is easy to imagine how much stronger our clinical interactions could be.
Some physicians are already testing the impact generative AI can have on their work, especially when used in conjunction with their EHRs. As they sit in an exam room with a patient, the technology can passively listen in the background to the conversation. This allows the physician to engage with the patient thoroughly yet also have a nice, tidy note at the end of the encounter that they can review and edit before adding it to the EHR record. In other words, the technology can simultaneously strengthen the patient relationship and lift some administrative burdens and stress off physicians’ shoulders.
Generative AI can be used to document a visit in whatever format is desired. It can distinguish various documentation components, such as the history and review of systems. It can also suggest a diagnosis and treatment plan. But this is where things start to get a little sticky.
Dr. Joe Nicholson is CMO of CareAllies