The International Journal of Emergency Medicine is calling for papers on how AI and digital health can transform emergency medicine. Major tech firms have been promoting chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI) image generators, bringing attention to the transformative potential of these AI tools. The potential of this technology is most apparent in the following areas:
1. Triage: AI chatbots can gather information from patients and make suggestions about triage priority.
2. Clinical Decision Support: AI algorithms can provide decision support for providers, potentially increasing accuracy and reducing medical errors.
3. Patient Monitoring: AI algorithms could assess patients' response to therapy during an emergency department visit and predict worsening status or risk of deterioration.
4. Communication and Patient Education: AI-powered communication tools are likely to have value in helping patients navigate emergency care. They could provide personalized education and guidance.
There are risks involved in the use of AI in emergency medicine. Bias can be introduced into algorithms based on assumptions built into their training, and replicability of function in different populations/circumstances can be a problem. The flaws of AI tools may not be apparent to patients or clinicians, and the quality of the underlying data must be evaluated before adoption. Explainability and ethical considerations may prove critical in the development and deployment of AI in emergency medicine.