British Doctors Skeptical That Artificial Intelligence Could Replace Them

Although AI makes a major disruption in healthcare sector, majority (80%) of doctors in the UK are still skeptical of the AI technology replacing them, stated new survey. "General practitioners believed that artificial intelligence could never replace them on empathy -- yet this is a skill that does not require special medical expertise," said Charlotte Blease, postdoctoral research student at Harvard Univerity's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) in Boston.

"Our findings raise important questions about how current and future physicians integrate and harness the power of artificial intelligence, which could ultimately improve the delivery of care to patients," she added.

For the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the team asked physicians about the likelihood that future technology would be able to fully replace the average GP in performing diagnostics; prognostics; evaluating when to refer patients to specialists; formulating personalised treatment plans for patients; providing empathic care; and updating patient documentation such as medical records.

Eighty per cent believed it was likely or very likely that future technology would be able to fully undertake duties related to patient documentation, such as updating medical records.

"The results suggest a disconnection between the views of experts in medical AI and practicing physicians: the overwhelming majority of general practitioners were unconvinced about the potential for technology to replace them especially when it comes to empathetic patient care," Blease noted.

Source-IANS