In 2020, a brilliant friend of mine invited me to join her Ph.D. research project on predicting the outcome of individuals getting Tuberculosis by leveraging machine learning models based on their risk factors. I pondered, “How can we trust the result of a machine learning study when we always revered the intricate art of disease diagnosis and management for so long?”
Having my seven years of medical training, I wondered if the transition to more data-driven healthcare could harmonise with the deeply-rooted principles of medical practices.
Fast forward to 2023, and the landscape of healthcare has undergone a transformative blizzard of digitalisation, catalysed by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic (Yes, that is indeed a blessing in disguise). People, including healthcare professionals, have rapidly embraced the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily lives.
This shift in perspective led to a study revealing an intriguing divide among healthcare workers. Approximately half of them eagerly embraced the use of AI in healthcare services, recognising its potential to revolutionise the field; while the other half are still sceptical. Which half are you?
Keeping Human Element in Medicine
At least for now, AI cannot provide empathy nor grasp a nuanced understanding of a patient’s unique circumstances - such as sensing when a patient is scared while being examined alone because she feels she has to undress, or discerning the hints of frustration in someone who has been waiting in line since morning.
Skills and attitudes like these are acquired through experience, intuition, and a combination of compassion and trust. Healthcare practice should encompass these factors not because we are competing with machines, but because machines have taught us what is truly important.
During an event conducted by the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care last month, the panel discussed the importance of viewing AI as a tool rather than a solution.
Despite the recent proliferation of its intelligence, particularly after the prominence of Chat GPT on the internet, it remains crucial to recognise that the cure for someone’s ailment lies in medication, counseling, physical therapy sessions, or surgery.
Trusting The Machines
The 50% of sceptic physicians share the same concerns as I do: the potential for unpredictable and incorrect results from AI. These are valid concerns as the quality of predictions heavily relies on the quality of data - "garbage in, garbage out."
While the marketing and advertising industries have successfully harnessed the benefits of utilising AI, leveraging their decades-long digitalisation, Indonesia has only recently begun its data digitalisation journey.
Ethical and regulatory considerations are other issues that need to be addressed. Ensuring that AI-driven diagnoses and treatments are ethically sound and adhere to patient rights is paramount.
Let us not forget the 2018 public dispute with one of the largest companies in the US about data access, highlighting the potential risks if such data pertains to health. I would prefer to keep my health data private and be asked for consent before it is transferred elsewhere.
Evolving and Thriving
The dichotomy between AI and the art of medicine is not an irreconcilable one. In fact, there is an opportunity for both to coexist and complement each other, with human leadership still at the forefront. With high-quality data, AI can alleviate the burden of administrative tasks, ensure accurate pharmaceutical management, and aid in reading radiology examinations.
This allows doctors and nurses to provide the essential human touch that reassures patients and offers emotional support. Such technology can make healthcare more accessible to all, especially those facing barriers to accessing healthcare services, such as those in geographically isolated places like Pegunungan Arfak in West Papua, or individuals with disabilities who cannot leave their homes to seek care.
Agatha Tyas
Program Manager of Primary Healthcare
CISDI