Healthcare professionals dealing with ethics-related concerns

How do you deal with patient concerns about the use of AI in healthcare?

SOTIRIOS BISDASO: We try to explain to our patients how AI works and in which context AI will be used. Before we launch any big project where AI will be a key part for the decision making, we usually run some workshops with our patients. And during these workshops, we analyse all the risks and benefits of using AI in the clinical environment.

PASCAL DE HAAN: I can imagine the concerns of the patients. But I think it’s also necessary to tell the patients that, yeah, in healthcare all the time, we are developing so many things, so also on the machines. It’s developing so much and so fast that this will be the best way of their treatment.

ERIK RANSCHAERT: Well, that is a very good question. Actually, this should be part of the hospital policy. If you want to implement AI solutions in your hospital, you should not do this in your own department. Actually, the best way to do it is to, let’s say, set up an agreement or a hospital-wide policy. And in this policy, also the information of patients should be involved. At this moment, in our hospital, we are publishing this and communicating this in the press, so that patients are informed that we are using it. And patients, of course, are free to ask us questions or to know more about it if they want to, yes.

MEREL HUISMAN: Me personally, as a radiologist, not a lot. But I befriended dermatologists, actually, recently experienced a huge influx of patients coming in with an app, making predictions about certain spots on their skin. And actually, she didn’t really know how to deal with this. And she wasn’t so updated about these new developments. So I think there’s definitely an opportunity or a need for education, doctor education, there.

MARIANNA LAHT: Patients are usually concerned if they don’t understand why are you using AI and for what you’re using it. So I believe a health care worker is supposed to explain patients why are they using it and for what they’re using.