Avoiding the AI ‘Off-Switch’: Make AI Work for Clinicians, to Deliver for Patients is a new white paper published between MPS Foundation, the Centre for Assuring Autonomy at the University of York and the Improvement Academy hosted at the Bradford Institute for Health Research.
The report, published in The Dentist, calls for support in AI use for the dental profession. It draws on findings from the Shared CAIRE (Shared Care AI Role Evaluation) research project, which examined the impact of AI decision-support tools on clinicians. The study explored various AI applications, from systems that provide basic information to those that offer direct treatment recommendations and even conversational AI capable of real-time patient interactions.
Researchers concluded that while AI has the potential to enhance healthcare, many clinicians remain hesitant about its role. Without greater confidence in AI systems, their adoption and effectiveness may be limited.
The White Paper sets out several key recommendations to guide clinicians, including dental professionals, in the use of AI:
AI should be treated as an additional clinical perspective that informs, rather than replaces, diagnostic and treatment decisions.
Clinicians should receive thorough training on AI systems, including their capabilities, constraints, and underlying algorithms.
AI usage should be openly discussed with patients as part of the wider conversation about diagnosis and treatment options.
Healthcare professionals should engage with AI developers to ensure systems are designed with clinician needs in mind.
The report also emphasises the importance of accountability, recommending that healthcare organisations ensure AI recommender systems have product liability. It advises that AI companies provide indemnity or loss-sharing mechanisms in cases where patients allege harm due to AI-driven recommendations.
As AI continues to play an increasingly significant role in healthcare, the authors stress that building trust and confidence among clinicians is essential for its successful integration. Without a concerted effort to ensure clinicians are fully trained, supported and confident in the systems they use, the potential benefits of AI for patient care could remain untapped.
The future of healthcare, therefore, depends on clinicians embracing AI as a valuable tool, not just a technological trend, to improve outcomes and enhance patient safety.
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