Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Doctor as a Stakeholder

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making significant inroads into healthcare, as in many other walks of life. Its contribution to clinical decision making, to achieve better outcomes, image interpretation especially in radiology, pathology and oncology, data mining, generating hidden insights, and reducing human errors in healthcare delivery is noteworthy. Yet there are physicians as well as patients and their families, who are wary of its role and its implementation in routine clinical practice. Any discussion on AI and its role in healthcare brings into consideration issues like hype and hope associated with any new technologies, uncertain understanding of who the stakeholders are, patients’ views and their acceptance, validity of data models used for training and decision making at the point of care. These considerations must be accompanied by thorough policy discussions on the future of AI in healthcare and how the curriculum planners in medical education should train the medical students who are the future healthcare providers. A deliberation on the issues on the issues that are common to Information Technology (IT) like cybersecurity, ethics and legal aspects, privacy, and transparency is also needed.