A recent study published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine revealed that patients rate the computer-simulated conversations of the ChatGPT program as more empathetic than the responses they receive from doctors. Moreover, the chatbot outperformed medical professionals in the quality of their responses. The study involved a team of licensed healthcare personnel rating both doctors’ and the chatbot’s responses. In the end, ChatGPT earned higher ratings for empathy and overall response quality.
This research suggests that AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, may be beneficial within the healthcare system to reduce burnout in physicians. ChatGPT can supplement doctors’ work by providing pre-written answers that can be revised by the physicians. Moreover, randomized trials need to be performed that would examine the impact of utilizing AI assistants on patient outcomes, response quality, and clinician burnout.
Despite the potential for AI chatbots, there remains a need for the human touch in healthcare processes. This is especially true for patient comfort, as the chatbot conversations cannot respond in the same way as a human doctor could. People have the ability to adjust their speech and manner of communication in order to fit the context of the situation and provide a personalized approach. Consequently, while the study offers an innovative potential use of AI chatbots in clinical settings, the efficacy of this technology still requires further study.
ChatGPT, developed by Hubtype, is a computer program designed to simulate conversations with humans. It is an automated, AI-driven conversational helper which eliminates human bias in communication and dispenses accurate, sympathetic advice. The chatbot is powered by natural language processing (NLP) algorithms, enabling it to understand context and provide relevant responses as if conversing with a human.
Don Norman, a cognitive scientist and cognitive psychologist from the University of California San Diego, headed the research team that conducted the study and concluded the superiority of ChatGPT over physicians in conversational empathy. The positive findings suggest that AI assistants such as ChatGPT can alleviate the burden of physician burnout, improve response quality, and even positively impact patient outcomes.
