Artificial/Augmented Intelligence (AI) is a tool, or set of tools, residing on a spectrum. AI may be as simple as a chatbot on a smartphone or as complex as a complex, algorithmic black box capable of suggesting treatment pathways for cancer. AI is developing rapidly in reach, capability, and quality, and medical providers and regulators must prepare for the ubiquity of AI, which is sure to envelop medical care with astonishing speed.
AI has tremendous promise. It will undoubtedly advance the standard of care, and clinicians who carefully embrace AI tools will ultimately detect pathologic subtlety, improve accuracy, and spend more quality time in face-to-face patient care than those who do not. AI can improve patient access and engagement by shifting administrative tasks away from the clinician while simultaneously increasing empathy shown to patients in spite of pervasive health care provider shortages.
Despite these technological advancements, the Oregon Medical Board will continue to hold licensees responsible for the care they provide to patients and expects licensees to use technology – including AI – responsibly and ethically. Regardless of who introduces AI into the practice, OMB licensees are expected to possess basic AI literacy in order to understand the technology and how to use it, explain its capabilities and limitations, assess the quality of AI outputs, and identify and guard against bias in AI algorithms. OMB licensees must guard against complacency and not compromise their own medical decision making by becoming overly reliant on AI.
The Oregon Medical Board recommends that clinicians become “tech-fluent" in relevant AI tools and incorporate them into their practice responsibly to keep pace with the increasing standard of care.
- Adopted April 4, 2024