Artificial intelligence may soon play a larger role in medicine, but to increase patient satisfaction, AI doctors will need to recall patient social information and offer privacy controls, according to researchers at Penn State. A study published in the journal Communication Research found that patients were more satisfied with AI doctors that remembered their occupation, hobbies, and other non-medical information, as long as they had control over their personal data.
Led by S. Shyam Sundar, Evan Pugh University Professor and the James P. Jimirro Professor of Media Effects at Penn State, the research team created a medical chatbot that interacted with 382 online participants over two visits. The study’s findings have implications for the design of AI systems in the medical field, suggesting that recalling patient social information may lead to better satisfaction, patient compliance, and positive health outcomes.
Other key contributors to the study include Cheng “Chris” Chen, assistant professor of communication design at Elon University, and Joe Walther, Bertelsen Presidential Chair in Technology and Society and distinguished professor of communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Future of AI Doctors: Balancing Personalization and Privacy
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to play a larger role in medicine than today’s online symptom checkers. However, to increase patient satisfaction, these “AI doctors” may need to get more personal than human doctors by recalling patient social information and offering privacy controls.
A recent study led by researchers at Penn State found that the more social information an AI doctor recalls about patients, the higher the patients’ satisfaction, but only if they were offered privacy control. The research team published their findings in the journal Communication Research.
The study’s lead author, Cheng “Chris” Chen, assistant professor of communication design at Elon University, explained that when an AI doctor recalls a patient’s social information, it is perceived as putting more effort into individuation, which leads to higher patient satisfaction, but only when the patient has privacy control. This was surprising because AI systems treat all data the same, but patients see it differently.
The Importance of Individuation in AI Doctors
Individuation, or recognizing and responding to an individual’s unique characteristics, is crucial for building trust and rapport between patients and AI doctors. According to S. Shyam Sundar, Evan Pugh University Professor and the James P. Jimirro Professor of Media Effects at Penn State, AI systems need to individuate patients socially by recalling certain non-medical information about them, such as their occupation and hobbies.
The researchers found that patients gave higher scores to AI doctors who recalled the patient’s social information as long as the doctor offered privacy control before concluding the visit. This suggests that patients appreciate the effort to recall their social information, but only if they have control over their data.
The Role of Privacy Control in Patient Satisfaction
Privacy control is a critical factor in patient satisfaction with AI doctors. Patients want to feel that they have agency over their personal data and can choose what information to share with the AI system. According to Sundar, patients still want the AI system to provide them privacy control, which is essential for building trust and rapport.
The study’s findings have implications for the design of AI systems in the medical field. By incorporating individuation and privacy control into their design, AI doctors can increase patient satisfaction, compliance, and positive health outcomes.
The Broader Implications of AI Doctors
The research also addresses larger questions about what it means to know someone, or rather to feel known by someone or something. According to co-author Joe Walther, Bertelsen Presidential Chair in Technology and Society and distinguished professor of communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the study highlights the importance of recognizing individuality in human-AI interactions.
The future of AI doctors depends on striking a balance between personalization and privacy. By doing so, these systems can provide high-quality care that is both effective and respectful of patients’ autonomy.
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