Prospects for artificial intelligence in health policy and practice

Prospects for artificial intelligence in health policy and practice
JAMA Health Forum; John Z. Ayanian, Zirui Song; 3/25
Solving complex diagnostic challenges is a natural application of AI [artificial intelligence] in health care and a compelling way to benchmark its capabilities. The more extraordinary test of AI will be its ability to unravel the ordinary—the everyday needs and struggles faced by patients and clinicians. Which words and what tone should a clinician use to motivate a patient to smoke less, exercise more, or adhere to medications? In these routine, imperfect moments, when the science of medicine morphs into an art of trust, and that art is an inherently human endeavor of caring, how could AI help clinicians choose the words, body language, and tone to deliver better care? The mystery no longer resides in putting together puzzle pieces of data, but rather in piecing together emotions, intuition, and tradeoffs. Improved chronic disease management, more efficient use of societal resources, and better quality of life are among the potential pots of gold at the end of the AI rainbow.