RISK TIP
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, COVID-19, AND THE FUTURE OF PANDEMICS RICHARD E. ANDERSON, MD, FACP, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE DOCTORS COMPANY AND TDC GROUP
Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven of value in the COVID-19 pandemic and shows promise for mitigating future healthcare crises. During the pandemic’s first wave in New York, for example, Mount Sinai Health System used an algorithm to help identify patients ready for discharge. Such systems can help overburdened hospitals manage personnel and the flow of supplies in a medical crisis so they can continue to provide superior patient care. Pandemic applications have demonstrated AI’s potential not only to lift administrative burdens, but also to give physicians back what Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of Scripps Research Translational Institute and author of Deep Medicine, calls “the gift of time.” More time with patients contributes to clear communication and positive relationships, which lower the odds of medical errors, enhance patient safety, and potentially reduce physicians’ risks of certain types of litigation. However, physicians and health systems will need to approach AI with caution. Many unknowns remain—including potential liability risks and the potential for worsening pre-existing bias. The law will need to evolve to account for AI-related liability scenarios, some of which are yet to be imagined.
14 CENTRAL COAST PHYSICIANS
Summer 2021
