Ethical obligations to inform patients about use of AI tools

Ethical obligations to inform patients about use of AI tools
JAMA; by Michelle M. Mello, Danton Char, Sonnet H. Xu2; 7/25
When a health care organization decides to deploy an AI tool, it should decide whether notification or consent is ethically required. To decide that disclosure is not required at the point of care is not to conclude that organizations have no transparency obligations concerning their use of AI. Two complementary steps can help discharge these obligations. First, health care organizations’ websites and written materials distributed to patients should explain how the organization uses AI to deliver better, safer, more efficient care and protect staff well-being. This kind of transparency honors patients’ desire to know how their care may be affected by AI and may help some make decisions about where to seek care.