Doctors survived the stethoscope. They’ll survive AI, too.

Doctors survived the stethoscope. They'll survive AI, too.

There's a cycle in health care: new tools are followed by skepticism. And it's been a pattern for at least two centuries. In 1834, this quote was published in The Times of London by English doctor John Forbes:

"That it will ever come into general use, notwithstanding its value, is extremely doubtful; because its beneficial application requires much time and gives a good deal of trouble both to the patient and the practitioner."

If you ignore the Queen's English, the quote mirrors how some might view AI technology in health care today. At the time, Dr. Forbes was referring to the stethoscope. It's hard to imagine that this indispensable, non-invasive diagnostic tool, which provides real-time, immediate clues about a patient's health, was once dismissed as too much trouble to use. In fairness, the construction of the stethoscope has advanced tremendously since its initial inception, improving the ease of use.

One day in the near future, artificial intelligence will be just as necessary as a stethoscope. It will become a tool that makes working in health care more efficient, accurate, and, yes, enjoyable.

It's already here

Artificial intelligence is already prominent in health care. It's taking the first pass at mammogram readings. It's automating appointment scheduling and reminders. It's listening during those appointments to assist with charting and billing. On top of this, roughly 25% of adults in the US say they use AI for health information or advice. One study reports that 80% of clinicians currently use some form of AI in their practice.

The growing presence of AI in health care has also sparked questions about what its role means for the future of clinical practice. Health care thought leaders have predicted job losses in specialties like radiology for over a decade, yet there's still a severe and persistent shortage of radiologists. AI doesn't curb the human need, but it can help triage the workload by flagging subtle abnormalities, measuring tumor volumes, and detecting early signs of conditions like strokes and lung nodules quickly and accurately.

And that's why AI, as long as it's used by health care professionals as a tool, won't be pushing the entire medical profession out of a job anytime soon.

Can't sue Claude for malpractice

There is significant liability every time a clinician interacts with a patient. If a doctor misdiagnoses a patient, they risk a lawsuit. If it happens enough, they risk license suspension or other sanctions. That liability doesn't exist for an artificially driven large language model. Whether and how that liability should be laid out for AI models is a completely separate conversation. But until it is sorted out, any artificial tool demands human oversight for any clinical decision-making.

With the prevalence of AI, there's a balancing point with how much a clinician should use it. A clinician cannot simply trust an AI to provide the correct information every single time. It must be verified. If a doctor were to trust an incorrect AI output and make an incorrect diagnosis, that provider would be at fault. But if a doctor were to forgo the use of AI to make a better clinical decision, when help was potentially a few key strokes away, would that be viewed as providing substandard care?

It's the human involvement that prevents AI from overreaching in medicine. It can't be the ultimate decision maker in care. The clinician is. They take responsibility for all decisions when it comes to a patient. AI is simply a tool. And like the stethoscope, it is only as useful as the person using it.

Artificially intelligent solutions are making aspects of health care more efficient, especially in the doctor's office. Realistically, it's good news that there is something advanced enough to theoretically give the human brain a run for its money. As health care continues to adopt artificial intelligence, so must clinicians.

Dr. Michael Blackman is the Chief Medical Officer of Greenway Health. A primary care physician at heart, Dr. Blackman brings an extensive background in health IT product management along with his knowledge of outpatient and inpatient care. Blackman earned his bachelor's in political science from Brown University, where he also earned his Doctor of Medicine degree. He completed his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Blackman holds an MBA from the University of Michigan.