Medical Protection sets out advice on GPs Top 10 AI concerns

A review of the range of queries Medical Protection has received from GPs in relation to AI use in the last 12 months, has revealed 10 clear themes.

This has prompted the leading medical defence organisation to publish advice on these themes on its website, to help doctors understand and mitigate any potential risks.

The Top 10 themes of calls to Medical Protection on AI, were:

1. Patient safety
2. Data protection
3. Patient consent
4. Liability
5. Indemnity
6. Transcribing tools
7. Generation of fit notes
8. Clinical prompts
9. Processing of laboratory results
10. Generative AI

Dr Ben White, Deputy Medical Director at Medical Protection, commented: “We know members are keen to explore and adopt AI tools which may enhance patient care and help to facilitate more efficient working. However, we also know from our medicolegal advice line that members are wary of some risks associated with the use of AI, and want to better understand these risks.

“Having reviewed the range of queries Medical Protection has received in relation to AI in the last 12 months, 10 clear themes have emerged. These centre on whether a healthcare professional can be held liable when using AI should a patient come to harm, in what circumstances a member can request assistance from Medical Protection for matters arising from the use of AI, whether intended use of AI is safe for patients, compliance with data protection legislation, and patient consent.

“More specific advice has also been sought on the medicolegal implications of AI software use in the transcribing of patient consultations, the generation of “fit to fly” letters or fit notes, the use of clinical “prompts” when using AI, and the processing of laboratory results.

“We have set out medicolegal advice on all 10 of these themes on our website. Our aim is to support the profession in embracing AI so it can deliver a range of potential benefits, while at the same time provide advice and support which helps members understand and mitigate any emergent risks in relation to its use. AI is of course fast-evolving, and we will continue to revisit the guidance.

“We are also - following the launch of a White Paper published by leading research organisations including our research arm, the MPS Foundation – working to ensure that AI tools are developed and integrated in a way that is usable, useful and safe, not just for patients but also for the clinicians using them. Bringing about greater confidence in AI among clinicians is vital if the potential benefits are to be unlocked, and we will do everything we can to ensure that message is heard by the Government, AI developers and regulators.”

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View the Medical Protection advice: https://www.medicalprotection.org/uk/articles/common-medicolegal-dilemmas-healthcare-professionals-are-facing-with-the-use-of-ai

For further information contact: [email protected]

About Medical Protection

Medical Protection is a trading name of The Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”). MPS is the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. We protect and support the professional interests of more than 300,000 members around the world. Membership provides access to expert advice and support and can also provide, depending on the type of membership required, the right to request indemnity for any complaints or claims arising from professional practice.

Our in-house experts assist with the wide range of legal and ethical problems that arise from professional practice. This can include clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical and dental council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries.

Our philosophy is to support safe practice in medicine and dentistry by helping to avert problems in the first place. We do this by promoting risk management through our workshops, E-learning, clinical risk assessments, publications, conferences, lectures and presentations.

MPS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MPS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.