Are Doctors Making More Mistakes Due to A.I.?
As technology advances, artificial intelligence, or A.I., has transformed our way of doing things. A.I. can review complex data at rapid speeds, simulating human reasoning to complete tasks faster than any person could ever. Tasks that once took hours to complete may take no longer than 15 minutes, boosting productivity and freeing up workers for other duties. While A.I. has taken over monotonous tasks in many companies, it does not come without its pitfalls.
But how does A.I. fit into the medical field? While shown to help healthcare providers identify malignancies and other conditions, A.I. may be preventing physicians from developing the necessary diagnostic skills to provide adequate care. Since A.I. is right so much of the time, physicians are letting their guard down, opening themselves up to malpractice claims. In this blog, the Greenville medical malpractice lawyers at Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC discuss what role A.I. plays in establishing liability in medical malpractice cases.
Doctors Rely on A.I. Accuracy to a Fault
Most physicians suffer from heavy workloads, being required to examine and diagnose patients in a short amount of time. The advent of A.I. has allowed physicians to rely on a computer system’s knowledge to diagnose patients.
In a recent study, an A.I. tool was used at four endoscopy centers in Poland to flag cancerous growths on colonoscopies. A.I. identified the malignancies by drawing boxes around them. The study examined the accuracy rate of physicians in identifying growths three months before A.I. was introduced and their accuracy rate afterward. After using artificial intelligence, doctors experienced a 6% decline in their ability to diagnose tumors on their own.
While alarming, there may be a simple explanation. Since A.I. was diagnosing tumors, physicians were likely paying less attention to each scan. Even when the A.I. tool was removed, physicians still had their guard down. This resulted in a decline in critical reasoning skills to diagnose abnormalities. Known as “deskilling,” A.I. opens a physician and medical facility up to liability.
Liability When A.I. Gets it Wrong
When A.I. is working effectively, it can help a physician diagnose conditions at a faster rate than ever before possible. When A.I. gets it wrong, liability still lies with the physician or medical facility. Using A.I. does not result in reduced liability for a provider but rather places the physician at the same disadvantage had they not used assisted technology at all.
Knowing exactly when a physician fails to meet the level of care expected of them can be more complex. South Carolina law defines medical malpractice as “not doing that which the reasonably prudent health care provider or health care institution would do in the same or similar circumstances.” This is adopted from the national standard. It sets the minimum level of care that should be administered to patients. In short, healthcare providers should only use A.I. to double-check their work, not depend on it to treat patients.
Guidance from Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyers
A healthcare provider has the legal responsibility to evaluate and treat patients in the same manner that a competent physician would in the same situation. Even though a physician may claim that A.I. caused them to make a mistake, this is only avoiding responsibility for their actions. A medical malpractice lawyer has the skills, experience, and knowledge to evaluate medical situations and decide how to gather evidence to prove a provider’s liability. Our legal team will not stop negotiating until you receive the settlement or award you deserve. Until justice is served, we will continue advocating for you.
Contact Our Greenville Medical Malpractice Attorneys Today
The acceptable standard of medical care is based on what a practitioner with comparable training, knowledge, and skills would do under the same or similar circumstances. At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, our Greenville medical malpractice lawyers provide aggressive representation to injured parties, no matter what role technology played in your treatment. If you recently experienced harm due to a physician’s oversight, you may be eligible to recover damages. To arrange your free consultation to speak with a member of our legal team, we can be reached online or by calling (864) 432-1796.