The “Doctor AI” is in
It finally happened! A patient ‘AI’d’ me. It used to be “Dr. Google.” Now we’re in the era of “Dr. AI.”
Let me elaborate. He was coming in to be fitted with new hearing aids after trying a different manufacturer (unsuccessfully) from another provider. He came to the appointment with a ChatGPT printout for programming those specific hearing devices for the configuration of his particular hearing loss. ChatGPT scoured the internet for all available information on those hearing devices, sound processing schemes/settings/adjustments for that configuration of loss, things to look for/avoid, etc. and synthesized it to “help” with programming the devices. It was 3-plus pages of what I found to be good information for a new audiologist, or one new to this product. Was it in any way helpful for me? No, but the information wasn’t inaccurate either. I’m not a novice; we already utilize best practices and, critically, I have practical information/experience that the internet doesn’t have. Because every fitting is a unique subjective experience for every user, it could only give general programming tips, but couldn’t take into account any physical or subjective perception variables specific to him.
He’s a challenging case. Genetic hearing loss that significantly distorts the neural information his brain receives, especially in the presence of (even a little) background noise. He also has tricky ear anatomy which affects how he perceives his own voice when wearing hearing devices, referred to as “occlusion” issues (think of how you sound to yourself when your ears are plugged).
Over the years, he’s previously worn a couple of different manufacturers. Audiologically, we know a person’s brain may work better with one manufacturer’s sound processing scheme than another. Also, there is always a ceiling to how much hearing devices benefit a person based on that person’s residual hearing ability. And in his case, his residual hearing is significantly compromised. The work we do together over time with our patients, based on their unique subjective perceptions of the amplification, physical fit, and our knowledge/experience/expertise in programming/fitting the devices, approaches the maximum performance level and benefit for that specific patient.
Please understand that I didn’t take offense or see it as a vote of no-confidence in my abilities/knowledge/care. Nor do I blame him for wanting to contribute to his own care. He was looking to help me help him. In health care, there should be no ego, only the well-being of the patient. And we should use all available tools towards that end.
Another patient who’s very savvy with technology was recently expounding on how he’s been using ChatGPT to self-diagnose medical issues using his current health data from his Apple Watch and test results (blood/imaging/electrophysical/etc.) from his own EMR (electronic medical records). He says it’s been remarkably accurate so far, which makes sense since it’s looking at HIS test results.
This is what AI can excel at. It can sift through reams of information to find patterns and/or connections incredibly efficiently and postulate causes for symptoms (patient complaints) and/or signs (empirical information, like test results) that a human might miss because it’s taking every bit of available information/knowledge into account.
But I’m not the least bit worried about AI taking my job. It’s not that I’m “smarter” than AI. I have something it does not. I have a body that integrates my knowledge base and experience with everything I can see, feel, smell, touch. I have hands that can manipulate and senses integrated with a brain that is connected to a desire to make my patients and their families lives better. AI can’t replace this critical human element, but it does give us another powerful tool to use towards that shared goal.
Please continue to show you love your community by supporting our local businesses and remembering the humanity of those around you. Wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday Season and a new year full of health, peace and prosperity!
