AI in The Doctor’s Office

Chiropractor and Acupuncturist Chapel Hill, NC

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is widely used in doctors’ offices, with upwards of 80% of offices using it. AI assists with office operations, including billing, patient scheduling, note-taking, and other office management tasks. Questions remain, however, about the actual benefits of this assistance and the repercussions of using AI in patient healthcare.

Increasingly, doctors use AI to transcribe patient notes during encounters, freeing them to attend to other tasks and, importantly, pay more attention to the patient rather than writing notes. Note transcription using AI is estimated to save thousands of hours of precious time. Nonetheless, when used to translate notes, AI makes certain assumptions through ‘auto-filling’ of information and misunderstanding of words, and sometimes even adds what is referred to as ‘hallucinogenic’ notes. Incorrect translation of the patient’s or the doctor’s words can cause harm, misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and incorrect patient prescriptions. Doctors can and should mitigate error risk by conscientiously reviewing notes after each encounter.

AI assists front desk operations in many ways, including patient billing. AI can potentially identify the best-practice coding route for procedures and modifier use, for example, to enhance the patient experience. Additionally, AI can assist front desk personnel in determining what to collect from patients in advance of treatment regarding copays, insurance, deductibles, and non-covered amounts. Also, AI can help physicians recognize patterns within patient encounters that suggest changes in diagnosis and suggest additional testing. Nonetheless, when AI is involved in medical decision-making to help patients choose which procedures to undergo, this may be problematic. Also, AI should never be used to maximize doctor/hospital reimbursement at the expense of patient care. Ethical oversight is crucial.

Another area where AI is prevalent in healthcare is doctor selection. Whereas insurance plans create lists of doctors for patients to choose from, AI operates at a different level when it comes to the doctor-patient connection. Ideally, AI helps patients find the best doctor for their particular needs, based on factors such as location, availability, patient symptoms, doctor type and specialty, and even patient care reviews. Nonetheless, the potential for monetizing this process makes some people suspect that AI’s role in doctor recommendations may not be fully in their best interest. Additionally, it is very unclear whether AI follows HIPAA guidelines regarding the privacy of patient information and the implications of having people’s health information available for AI to use.

AI in healthcare is a burgeoning industry-we have just begun to learn how AI can impact our health decisions and budget. Ideally, AI will be a team player and help to transform the more laborious aspects of doctor-patient interactions. In the meantime, however, each of us needs to remain cautious and alert regarding this new tool.

At Acupractic Natural Healing Center, we appreciate the benefits AI provides for our patients and for us. We strive to maintain patient confidentiality and care, and provide meaningful one-on-one doctor-patient encounters at every visit. Call today to see how chiropractic and acupuncture can help you feel better naturally. 919-929-1400, or visit our website at acudocnc.com.