A generative AI tool that supports GPs during consultations improves the quality of clinical decision-making without compromising patient safety.
This is the finding of a large-scale randomised practice-based trial.
Although the technology led to better diagnostic assessments and treatment plans, no demonstrable improvement in patients' health outcomes was observed in the short term.
According to the researchers, this is one of the first randomised clinical trials to examine not only the performance of AI or healthcare providers in a simulated environment, but also the actual impact at patient level in everyday practice.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Birmingham and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Birmingham.
In total, over 9,600 patients treated at sixteen primary care clinics in Kenya took part.
The AI operated entirely in the background. Patients did not see the recommendations, and the healthcare provider retained full responsibility for all decisions regarding diagnosis, treatment and any referrals.
The results show that generative AI can be safely integrated into existing clinical workflows without compromising healthcare providers’ autonomy or patients’ trust. At the same time, they emphasise that it is much more difficult to see improvements in clinical decision-making directly reflected in health outcomes, particularly within primary care where serious complications are relatively rare.
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