The Ethics of Medical AI and the Physician-Patient Relationship

Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2020 Jan;29(1):115-121. doi: 10.1017/S0963180119000847.

Abstract

This article considers recent ethical topics relating to medical AI. After a general discussion of recent medical AI innovations, and a more analytic look at related ethical issues such as data privacy, physician dependency on poorly understood AI helpware, bias in data used to create algorithms post-GDPR, and changes to the patient-physician relationship, the article examines the issue of so-called robot doctors. Whereas the so-called democratization of healthcare due to health wearables and increased access to medical information might suggest a positive shift in the patient-physician relationship, the physician's 'need to care' might be irreplaceable, and robot healthcare workers ('robot carers') might be seen as contributing to dehumanized healthcare practices.

Keywords: GDPR; Medical AI; algorithm bias; care robots.

MeSH terms

  • Artificial Intelligence / ethics*
  • Artificial Intelligence / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Confidentiality / ethics
  • Ethics, Medical*
  • European Union
  • Humans
  • Informed Consent
  • Physician-Patient Relations*
  • Physicians
  • Robotics / ethics
  • Robotics / legislation & jurisprudence