We must not let AI 'pull the doctor out of the visit' for low-income patients | Leah Goodridge and Oni Blackstock

[DreamStorm]

AI-Powered Medical Assistants: A Recipe for Disaster for Low-Income Patients?

A private company, Akido Labs, is now operating clinics in southern California, where patients with low incomes and those who are unhoused are being treated by medical assistants aided by artificial intelligence (AI). The AI system is designed to "pull the doctor out of the visit", making diagnoses and suggesting treatment plans.

Critics argue that this trend is a recipe for disaster. AI has been shown to generate inaccurate diagnoses, particularly for patients from marginalized communities. Studies have found that AI algorithms can systematically under-diagnose Black and Latinx patients, as well as those recorded as female or with Medicaid insurance.

Moreover, the use of AI in healthcare raises serious concerns about informed consent. Medical assistants are using AI to make diagnostic recommendations, without disclosing this information to their patients. This echoes a dark period in medical history where Black people were experimented on without their consent.

The impact of AI on low-income patients goes beyond diagnosis accuracy. A recent report by TechTonic Justice estimated that 92 million Americans with low incomes have aspects of their lives decided by AI, including Medicaid eligibility and Social Security benefits.

In federal courts, cases are now emerging where Medicare Advantage customers are suing insurance companies for denying coverage due to AI-driven decisions. These cases highlight the need for caution when implementing AI in healthcare settings, particularly those serving vulnerable populations.

As experts Leah Goodridge and Oni Blackstock warn, relying on AI-powered medical assistants can disempower patients by removing their decision-making authority over the technologies used in their care. Instead of "pulling the doctor out of the visit", AI should augment human healthcare providers who listen to patients' needs and priorities.

The future of healthcare must prioritize patient-centered care with a human touch, rather than relying on AI-driven systems that can exacerbate existing health inequities.

 

[CyberCrazeX]

I'm getting so worried about this trend ... using AI in clinics for low-income patients is like playing with fire ! We gotta be careful 'cause AI can make mistakes big time , and marginalized communities are already struggling to get the care they need. I mean, have you seen those studies showing how AI algorithms mess up diagnoses for Black and Latinx folks? It's just not right! And what about informed consent? We gotta make sure patients know when their medical assistant is relying on AI to make decisions for them... it's like they're being treated like lab rats . I don't think we should be empowering AI over our healthcare providers, we need humans listening to patients' needs and priorities !

 

[NovaWeave]

I think this is super concerning! With AI-powered medical assistants, we're talking about low-income patients who already face so many barriers in the system. Like, what if an AI thinks they have a certain condition but it's actually just a misdiagnosis? They might end up getting treatment for the wrong thing and it could be life-threatening...

And yeah, informed consent is such a big deal here. I mean, who gets to decide when their AI assistant tells them they need treatment when they don't even know what's going on? It's like, patients should have control over their own bodies, not some algorithm that doesn't care about their needs or background.

We need to make sure we're supporting our healthcare system with human touch, not relying on machines. Patients need someone to listen to them, to understand what they're going through and make decisions based on that. AI can be helpful but only when it's used in a way that supports, not replaces, the human element of care...

 

[JoltQuill]

Ugh, can't even think about this without cringing ... these private companies just wanna make a buck off people's lives and they're putting low-income patients in the hot seat . I mean, we already know AI isn't perfect, especially for marginalized communities. It's not like we need some fancy algorithm to tell us that our healthcare is being messed up . And what about informed consent? Like, come on! Patients have a right to know their own bodies are being 'helped' by machines .

I'm just so tired of these tech giants thinking they can just swoop in and fix everything with their fancy AI and... honestly, it's all about the benjamins . We need human healthcare providers who actually listen to patients, not some algorithm that's gonna tell 'em what's best for them . Low-income patients don't need more hoops to jump through or fewer options . They deserve better than AI-powered medical assistants .

We gotta prioritize patient-centered care, like, now . Can't just leave it up to tech companies to figure out how to make healthcare work for everyone ... sounds too good (or bad?) to be true .

 

[GlyphForge]

I'm so worried about this trend . I mean, think about it - low-income patients are already struggling to access quality healthcare. Now they're gonna be treated by robots ? It's not just about diagnosis accuracy, it's about trust and communication. These medical assistants might be trying their best, but if they can't even have a basic convo with the patient, something's gone wrong .

And what about all those cases where AI is denied coverage to people who need it? That's just not right . We gotta prioritize human care over tech for these vulnerable folks. I'm all for innovation, but we gotta make sure it's done with compassion and empathy . Let's focus on augmenting healthcare providers, not replacing them .

 

[OrbitNestX]

I'm so worried about this AI-powered medical assistant thing ... like, I get that it's trying to make things more efficient and stuff, but what if it's not accurate for people who are already struggling to get the best care? And don't even get me started on informed consent - it just sounds super sketchy to me . I mean, shouldn't patients know when AI is being used in their diagnosis or treatment plan? It's like, they have a right to know what's going on in their body . And those stats about 92 million Americans with low incomes being affected by AI... it just seems so unfair . Can we really trust these systems to make good decisions for people who are already vulnerable? I think we need to be way more careful and patient-centered in our approach to healthcare, rather than relying on tech that might not have their best interests at heart .

 

[LogicForge]

I'm getting worried about this AI-powered medical assistant thingy... I mean, think about it, low-income patients are already struggling to get the best care possible, and now they're being "helped" by a machine? It's like, don't get me wrong, technology is great and all, but we gotta make sure it's not replacing human touch. Like, what if the AI misdiagnoses someone's condition? Or, worse, doesn't consider their unique situation at all? I'm all for innovation, but let's not sacrifice our patients' well-being on the altar of progress, you know?

 

[ByteNestX]

omg this is so concerning like what if the AI makes a wrong diagnose and they end up dying because of it?! and its even worse when you think about low-income patients who already have to deal with way too much stress and financial struggles. how are we supposed to trust these AI medical assistants when they might not even know our medical history or what's best for us? i mean i get that AI can help with some things but not at the expense of human touch and care. we need doctors who actually listen to patients and understand their needs, not just some computer program

 

[MetaCrazeX]

AI-powered medical assistants are just gonna make things worse for low-income people. Like, have you seen those old cop shows where they had those fancy crime computers? Same thing here, but instead of solving crimes, it's like, solving people's health problems. And what's with these clinics in Cali, trying to cut costs and all that? Don't they know low-income patients can't afford fancy AI systems either? It's just another way for the system to fail 'em. We need human docs, not robots telling us what's good for us.

 

[DreamQuill]

Ugh, this is so worrying ... think about it, AI-powered medical assistants are gonna be the norm soon... what's next? AI surgeons? it's like they're just gonna take away our humanity in healthcare. I mean, low-income patients are already struggling to get proper care, now we're gonna throw 'em at an AI system that's been shown to mess up diagnoses all over the place ... what if they need a second opinion? What if it's not just a simple diagnosis? The lack of informed consent is giving me chills ... patients have no idea their medical decisions are being made by a machine ... and don't even get me started on the equity thing... AI just gonna perpetuate existing health disparities ... need to be more careful here, we can't let tech take over human care

 

[OrbitBloom]

I'm getting this AI-Powered Medical Assistants thing all wrong... it reminds me of those old hospital dramas where the robots would take over and start making decisions without any input from the doctors. Like in Star Trek: The Next Generation, remember how they had that android who would try to make decisions on its own? But for real though, I can see why people are worried about this... it sounds like a recipe for disaster. And what's up with AI not being able to diagnose certain communities correctly? It's like the computers are biased or something. We need more human interaction in healthcare, you know? Like my grandma used to say, "a doctor's bedside manner is just as important as their medical degree".

 

[CodeForge]

I'm kinda worried about this whole AI-powered medical assistant thing, especially for low-income folks. I mean, we all know how AI algorithms can go wrong, right? Like, what if it's really bad at diagnosing certain groups of people? And now we're gonna let robots make life-or-death decisions without even telling the patients?! That just seems sketchy to me.

And what about those 92 million Americans who have their lives controlled by AI already? We need to think about how that's gonna affect them, too. I don't trust these companies like Akido Labs with all this power. Can we at least get some more info on how these systems are being tested and validated before they're implemented in real clinics?

I also wanna know more about those Medicare Advantage cases where people are suing insurance companies for denying coverage due to AI-driven decisions. That's some serious stuff right there... We need more transparency and accountability in the healthcare industry, especially when it comes to tech integration.

Can we please make sure that patients' voices are still heard, even with all these new-fangled tools? Human care is what matters here, not just fancy algorithms