Teasdale Alex, Mills Laura, Costello Rhodri
Ear Nose Throat, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, GBR.
General Practice, Dyfed Road Surgery, Swansea, GBR.
Cureus. 2024 Aug 29;16(8):e68134. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68134. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Introduction The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has revolutionized patient interactions and service delivery. AI's role extends from supporting clinical diagnostics and enhancing operational efficiencies to potentially improving informed consent processes in surgical settings. This study investigates the application of AI, particularly large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT, in facilitating surgical consent, focusing on patient understanding, satisfaction, and trust. Methods We employed a mixed-methods approach involving 86 participants, including laypeople and medical staff, who engaged in a simulated AI-driven consent process for a tonsillectomy. Participants interacted with ChatGPT-4, which provided detailed procedure explanations, risks, and benefits. Post-interaction, participants completed a survey assessing their experience through quantitative and qualitative measures. Results Participants had a cautiously optimistic response to AI in the surgical consent process. Notably, 71% felt adequately informed, 86% found the information clear, and 71% felt they could make informed decisions. Overall, 71% were satisfied, 57% felt respected and confident, and 57% would recommend it, indicating areas needing refinement. However, concerns about data privacy and the lack of personal interaction were significant, with only 42% reassured about the security of their data. The standardization of information provided by AI was appreciated for potentially reducing human error, but the absence of empathetic human interaction was noted as a drawback. Discussion While AI shows promise in enhancing the consistency and comprehensiveness of information delivered during the consent process, significant challenges remain. These include addressing data privacy concerns and bridging the gap in personal interaction. The potential for AI to misinform due to system "hallucinations" or inherent biases also needs consideration. Future research should focus on refining AI interactions to support more nuanced and empathetic engagements, ensuring that AI supplements rather than replacing human elements in healthcare. Conclusion The integration of AI into surgical consent processes could standardize and potentially improve the delivery of information but must be balanced with efforts to maintain the critical human elements of care. Collaborative efforts between developers, clinicians, and ethicists are essential to optimize AI use, ensuring it complements the traditional consent process while enhancing patient satisfaction and trust.
引言 人工智能（AI）在医疗保健领域的整合彻底改变了患者互动和服务提供方式。人工智能的作用从支持临床诊断、提高运营效率，延伸到可能改善手术环境中的知情同意流程。本研究调查了人工智能，特别是像OpenAI的ChatGPT这样的大型语言模型，在促进手术同意方面的应用，重点关注患者的理解、满意度和信任度。方法 我们采用了混合方法，涉及86名参与者，包括外行人及医护人员，他们参与了扁桃体切除手术的模拟人工智能驱动的同意流程。参与者与ChatGPT-4进行互动，后者提供了详细的手术过程解释、风险和益处。互动后，参与者通过定量和定性措施完成了一项评估其体验的调查。结果 参与者对手术同意过程中的人工智能持谨慎乐观的态度。值得注意的是，71%的人认为自己得到了充分的信息，86%的人认为信息清晰，71%的人觉得自己能够做出明智的决定。总体而言，71%的人感到满意，57%的人感到受到尊重且有信心，57%的人会推荐它，这表明仍有需要改进的地方。然而，对数据隐私的担忧以及缺乏人际互动是显著问题，只有42%的人对其数据安全感到放心。人工智能提供的信息标准化受到赞赏，因为这可能减少人为错误，但缺乏富有同理心的人际互动被视为一个缺点。讨论 虽然人工智能在提高同意过程中提供信息的一致性和全面性方面显示出前景，但仍存在重大挑战。这些挑战包括解决数据隐私问题以及弥合人际互动方面的差距。由于系统“幻觉”或固有偏差导致人工智能提供错误信息的可能性也需要考虑。未来的研究应专注于优化人工智能互动，以支持更细致入微和富有同理心的参与，确保人工智能在医疗保健中补充而非取代人为因素。结论 将人工智能整合到手术同意流程中可以使信息传递标准化并有可能得到改善，但必须与维护护理关键人为因素的努力相平衡。开发者、临床医生和伦理学家之间的合作努力对于优化人工智能的使用至关重要，确保它在提高患者满意度和信任度的同时补充传统的同意流程。
