AI is transforming medicine. Could it bring doctors and patients together?

A few weeks ago I went to the doctor to go over some test results. Everything was good – even spectacularly average. But there was one part of the appointment that surprised me. After giving me advice based on my health and age, my doctor turned her computer monitor toward me and presented me with a colorful dashboard full of numbers and percentages.

At first I wasn't entirely sure what I was seeing. My doctor explained that she entered my information into a database along with millions of other patients just like me—and that database used AI to predict my most likely outcomes. So there it was: a snapshot of my possible health problems.

I'm usually skeptical when it comes to AI. Most Americans are. But if our doctors trust these large language models, does that mean we should too?

Dr. Eric Topol believes the answer is a resounding yes. He is a physician scientist at Scripps Research who founded the Scripps Research Translational Institute, and he believes AI has the potential to bridge the gap between doctors and their patients.

“The relationship between patient and doctor has suffered enormously,” he said Explain it to meVox's weekly call-in podcast.

The problem is that a large portion of a doctor's day is taken up by administrative tasks. Physicians serve as part-time data clerks, Topol says, “handling all of the charting and ordering of tests, prescriptions and prior authorizations that each physician is responsible for after the visit.”

“It's a terrible situation because the reason we went into medicine was to take care of patients, and you can't take care of patients if you don't have enough time for them,” he said.

Topol explained how AI could make the healthcare experience more human on a recent episode of Explain it to me. Below is an excerpt of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full episode here Apple Podcasts, Spotifyor wherever you get podcasts. If you would like to ask a question, email askvox@vox.com or call 1-800-618-8545.

Why is there this increasing gap in the relationship between patient and doctor?

If I were to simplify it into three words, it would be the “business of medicine.” Basically, there is pressure to treat more patients in less time in order to make money for the doctor's practice. The way to make more profit with lower reimbursements is to have more patients do more tests.

You literally wrote a book about how AI can transform healthcare, and you say this technology can make healthcare human again. Can you explain this idea? Because my first thought when I hear “AI in medicine” isn’t, “Oh, this will fix the problem and make it more intimate and personable.”

Who would have the audacity to claim that technology could make us more human? Well, I was, and I think we're seeing it now. The gift of time is given to us through technology. We can capture a conversation with patients through AI natural environment language processing and take better notes from the entire conversation. Now we're seeing some really good products that do this in case confusion arises or something is forgotten during the discussion. They also do all these things to get rid of the work of data clerks.

In addition, patients will use AI tools to interpret their data, make a diagnosis, get a second opinion and clarify many questions. So we see both sides – the patient side and the clinician side. I think we can use this technology to make it much more efficient, but also create a stronger human connection.

Are you at all worried that when this time becomes available, administrators will say, “Well, then you have to see more patients in the same amount of time you were given?”

I was worried about that. If we don't stand together for patients, this is exactly what could happen. AI could make you more efficient and productive, so we need to advocate for patients and for that relationship. This is our best chance to get back to where we were or even better.

What about bias in healthcare? I'm wondering how you envision this inclusion in AI?

Step #1 is to acknowledge that there is a deep-rooted bias. It is a reflection of our culture and society.

However, we have seen so many great examples around the world of AI being used in low socio-economic, low-access areas to provide access and promote better health outcomes, whether it be diabetic retinopathy in Kenya, people who have never had the opportunity to get checked, or mental health in the UK with underrepresented minorities. You can use AI if you consciously want to help reduce inequalities and try to do everything possible to interrogate a model for possible biases.

Let's talk about the differences that exist in our country. If you have a high income, you can get the best medical care in the world here. And if you don't have that high of an income, there's a good chance you won't get very good health care. Are you at all concerned that AI could deepen this divide?

I'm worried about that. We have a long history of not using technology to help people who need it most. So many things we could have done with technology, we didn't do. Will this be the time when we finally wake up and say, “It's much better to give everyone these skills to reduce the burden we place on the medical system in caring for patients?” This is the only way we can use AI and ensure that the people who would benefit most from it get the most. But we don't have very good conditions for this. I hope we finally see the light.

What makes you so hopeful? I consider myself an optimistic person, but sometimes it is very difficult to be optimistic about healthcare in America.

Remember that every year we have 12 million serious diagnostic errors and 800,000 people die or become disabled. This is a real problem. We have to fix that. So if you're worried about AI making mistakes, guess what? We have made a lot of mistakes at the moment that can be improved. I have enormous optimism. We're still in the early stages, but I'm confident we'll get there.