The American Medical Association (AMA) is advocating for physician consent in certain uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Recognizing AI’s potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, treatment outcomes, and patient care, the AMA emphasizes the need for ethical considerations and proactive governance. The organization suggests that health plans should use AI to simplify administrative tasks and reduce workflow burdens, but raises concerns about potential risks, including access barriers for patients and limitations on essential benefits.
The AMA’s principles also highlight the increased liability risks for physicians relying on AI tools with little transparency about the data and algorithms they use. The AMA aims to ensure that physician liability for AI technologies aligns with current medical malpractice approaches, even as legal theories evolve in this field.
Additionally, the AMA calls for greater transparency in insurers’ use of AI in automated decision-making systems, which can rapidly deny care with minimal human review. Regular audits are recommended to ensure these systems do not increase claims denials or limit coverage, thereby decreasing access to care.
Patient privacy is another concern, as AI tools gain access to patient records. The AMA points out that even HIPAA cannot fully protect patients from the opaque nature of AI, which may reveal personal data or confidential details.
The AMA also notes the current gaps in US government oversight and regulation of AI in medicine, with no national standard guiding the development and adoption of many AI applications. The FDA regulates AI-enabled medical devices, but many other AI technologies fall outside its scope, and the authorities of other agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights are limited.
The AMA’s principles underscore the critical need for the physician community to engage in policy development to inform education and guide engagement with new AI technologies in healthcare.