A recent survey indicates that a quarter of General Practitioners (GPs) in the UK are now utilising artificial intelligence (AI) in their professional capacity. This adoption is occurring despite a significant lack of formal training or employer guidance, raising concerns among researchers about the safe and ethical implementation of these technologies in healthcare.
Key Takeaways
- Approximately 25% of UK GPs are actively using AI tools in their daily work.
- A vast majority (95%) of these GPs have received no professional training on AI use.
- Most GPs (85%) report no encouragement from their employers to use AI.
- AI usage among GPs has seen an increase from 20% last year to 25% this year.
AI Integration In General Practice
The study, which surveyed 1,005 GPs across the UK, highlights a rapid shift from AI being a 'taboo' subject to a practical 'tool' in British medicine within just twelve months. Doctors are independently adopting these systems, such as ChatGPT, primarily because they find them helpful in their work. However, experts caution that the real risk lies not in the use of AI itself, but in its deployment without adequate training or oversight.
Common AI Applications And Associated Risks
Doctors are employing AI for various tasks, including:
- Documentation: 35% of GPs use AI for writing patient notes and reports.
- Differential Diagnoses: 27% utilise AI to assist in identifying potential medical conditions.
- Treatment and Referrals: 24% leverage AI for guidance on treatment plans or patient referrals.
Researchers from institutions including Uppsala University, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Manchester have voiced concerns about the potential pitfalls of AI in clinical settings. These include the technology's propensity to 'hallucinate' or provide incorrect information, the risk of 'algorithmic discrimination' due to biases in training data, and significant patient data privacy issues.
Official Responses And Future Outlook
NHS England acknowledged AI's role in helping staff dedicate more time to patient care by speeding up diagnoses, analysing test results, and reducing administrative burdens. They stressed the importance of robust safeguards, clear patient information, and proper clinician training to ensure trust and benefit.
Government bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland also recognise AI's potential in health and social care. They emphasised the need for close collaboration with the NHS workforce to ensure safe, effective, and ethical AI deployment. Northern Ireland's Department of Health plans to release an AI framework to provide system-wide guidance on governance, oversight, risk management, training, and alignment with regulatory standards, aiming to foster innovation while ensuring safety.