The perfect storm: The risks of AI health advice

The risks of AI health advice

Medical Economics asked Rosemarie Aznavorian, D.N.P., RN, CENP, CCWP, CCRN, executive vice president of client services and chief clinical officer at MedPro Healthcare Staffing, what's actually at stake when patients act on artificial intelligence (AI)-generated health advice before ever seeing a clinician. She highlighted the risk of misdiagnosis.

A wrong self-diagnosis doesn't just delay the right care, but it can actively cause harm.

Patients who believe they've identified their condition may reach for over-the-counter treatments that are ineffective or contraindicated, compounding the original problem with new side effects. By the time they do see a clinician, the picture can be more complicated than it needed to be.

Aznavorian sees nurses as a critical bridge in addressing that gap. The profession has ranked as the most trusted in the United States for 15 to 20 years running, and she said that trust carries real responsibility.

"Patients are in charge of their care," she said, "but we need to provide them with information so they can make appropriate decisions for themselves."