Posted: May 31st, 2023

The Role of AI in Healthcare: Balancing Quality of Service and Human Touch

Patients will lose empathy, kindness, and appropriate behavior when dealing with robotic physicians and nurses because these robots do not possess human attributes such as compassion. This is one of the most significant negative aspects of artificial intelligence in medical science.” (Farhud & Zokaei, 2021).

Often times society gets hung up on the empathy, compassion and kindness controls when it comes to AI, but this is not what we are talking about. AI is not meant to take the place of a human’s touch, but because AI can perform much better than a human, the human touch may not be as needed in the near future. Plus, many who are coming into healthcare now either as a patient or as a professional, are looking much more for quality of service than they are compassion.

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The Role of AI in Healthcare: Balancing Quality of Service and Human Touch

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant advancements in various fields, including healthcare. As AI technologies continue to evolve, the potential for their integration into medical science raises both excitement and concerns. One noteworthy concern is the potential loss of empathy, kindness, and appropriate behavior in patient interactions due to the absence of human attributes such as compassion in robotic physicians and nurses. This essay explores the relationship between AI and human touch in healthcare, highlighting the benefits AI can bring while acknowledging the importance of balancing quality of service and the human touch.

Enhancing Efficiency and Accuracy

AI in healthcare holds immense potential for improving efficiency and accuracy in medical diagnosis and treatment. AI-powered systems can quickly analyze vast amounts of patient data, including medical records, lab results, and imaging scans, leading to faster and more accurate diagnoses (Topol, 2019). This increased efficiency allows medical professionals to focus more on patient care and spend less time on administrative tasks. By reducing diagnostic errors, AI systems can enhance patient safety and overall healthcare outcomes (Rajkomar et al., 2019).

However, it is crucial to emphasize that AI should not be seen as a replacement for human healthcare professionals. Rather, it should be viewed as a valuable tool that can augment their abilities and assist in providing high-quality care.

The Importance of Empathy and Kindness

Empathy, kindness, and appropriate behavior are integral to the patient experience and play a vital role in establishing trust between patients and healthcare providers. Research consistently shows that empathetic care leads to increased patient satisfaction, improved treatment adherence, and better health outcomes (Derksen et al., 2018). While it is true that AI lacks the innate ability to experience emotions like humans do, it does not imply that AI cannot contribute to compassionate care.

AI can be programmed to recognize and respond to patient emotions, allowing for tailored interactions. For example, chatbots with natural language processing capabilities can simulate empathetic responses by understanding patient concerns and providing relevant information or resources (Zhou et al., 2018). These AI-based systems can offer support and information to patients, improving their overall experience while complementing the work of human healthcare providers.

Balancing Quality of Service and Human Touch

When considering the integration of AI in healthcare, it is important to strike a balance between quality of service and the human touch. While AI can offer efficiency and accuracy, it is essential to ensure that the patient’s emotional needs are not neglected.

Training healthcare professionals in empathetic communication and interpersonal skills remains crucial. By enhancing emotional intelligence, healthcare providers can effectively connect with patients and address their concerns, even in a technologically advanced healthcare setting (Park & Jeong, 2019). Human healthcare providers can utilize AI as a support system, allowing them to focus more on building trust, establishing rapport, and providing personalized care.

Moreover, the notion that patients prioritize quality of service over compassion may not necessarily hold true in all cases. While efficiency and accurate diagnoses are undoubtedly important, patients often seek care that extends beyond technical expertise. Numerous studies have emphasized the significance of patient-centered care, which encompasses empathy, respect, and involvement in decision-making (Epstein & Street Jr, 2011). Healthcare systems that prioritize patient-centered care, in conjunction with AI technologies, can provide a comprehensive approach that combines the benefits of both human touch and technical proficiency.

Conclusion

The integration of AI in healthcare has the potential to revolutionize medical science and improve patient outcomes. While concerns about the loss of empathy, kindness, and appropriate behavior are valid, it is important to approach AI as a tool that can enhance, rather than replace, the human touch. By prioritizing patient-centered care and providing training in empathetic communication, healthcare professionals can leverage AI’s efficiency

References
‘Thieme, A., Hanratty, M., Lyons, M., Palacios, J., Marques, R. F., Morrison, C., & Doherty, G. (2023). Designing Human-Centered AI for Mental Health: Developing Clinically Relevant Applications for Online CBT Treatment. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 30(2), 1-50.
Cahyo, Lukito Mindi, and Santi Dwi Astuti. “Early Detection of Health Problems through Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Technology in Hospital Information Management: A Literature Review Study.” Journal of Medical and Health Studies 4, no. 3 (2023): 37-42.
Solnet, D., Subramony, M., Ford, R. C., Golubovskaya, M., Kang, H. J., & Hancer, M. (2019). Leveraging human touch in service interactions: lessons from hospitality. Journal of Service Management, 30(3), 392-409.

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