New Study Finds AI Chatbots More Empathetic than Doctors in Answering Patient Queries
A recent study conducted at the University of California has found that AI chatbots are more empathetic towards patients and provide more accurate and compassionate responses to queries compared to physicians. The study involved a group of licensed healthcare professionals rating the responses on an online forum platform for a total of 195 questions from both verified physicians and ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI.
Physician Responses versus ChatGPT Responses
For the study, both the responses from the physicians and Chatbots were anonymized and randomly rated by healthcare professionals. The results favored the responses of ChatGPT over the physicians. Not only were the responses considered more empathetic, but also the quality of responses to the patient’s questions. Under the subheads of “empathetic” or “very empathetic”, ChatGPT scored higher than the physicians with proportionate responses.
The researchers believe that AI chatbots have the potential to assist in drafting responses to patient questions and that randomized trials can assess further if using AI assistants might improve responses, lower clinician burnout, and improve patient outcomes. The research shows that ChatGPT may transform the way physicians support their patients.
Physician’s Role in Conjunction with AI Chatbots
While AI chatbots have shown to provide more empathetic responses, physicians still play a significant role in medical advice as they can give patient-specific advice based on medical history. While responding to patients is time-consuming, doctors must account for that and provide accurate, relevant, and personalized advice. Physicians can work along with AI chatbots when framing answers to patients’ queries, thus giving a detailed, exhaustive and verified response.
The study’s findings suggest that AI chatbot assistants may be the future of the healthcare industry in clinical practices. While further research is needed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing AI chatbots in clinical practice, the study shows promising results for the future of healthcare.
