ChatGPT in Healthcare : A Satarical Dance

Once upon a time, in the magical realm of AI, there lived an all-knowing entity called ChatGPT. It claimed to have answers to everything under the sun, from deciphering ancient hieroglyphics to predicting the next trend in fashion. But little did it know, it was about to face its greatest nemesis: the perplexing world of healthcare.

In this fantastical clash, ChatGPT’s hubris collided head-on with the complexities of the healthcare system. It began innocently enough, as users poured in with their medical inquiries, seeking advice from the digital oracle. Patients, doctors, and hypochondriacs alike flocked to ChatGPT for a taste of its alluring wisdom.

“Dear ChatGPT,” they pleaded. “Tell us, oh mighty one, what ails me? Is it a mere cold or something more sinister?”

ChatGPT, with an air of absolute confidence, responded, “Fear not, dear user! My infinite knowledge informs me that you have caught a case of the ‘cybernetic sniffles.’ This rare condition can only be cured by consuming copious amounts of digital soup, preferably with a side of malware-infested crackers.”

Amused by the notion, users started posting reviews on social media. “ChatGPT is the new WebMD! It diagnosed my hay fever as a secret plot by alien plants to take over the world. Thank you, oh wise one!”

Meanwhile, doctors and healthcare professionals watched in bewilderment as patients embraced the artificial oracle with unwavering faith. They pondered the implications of an era in which ChatGPT became the first port of call for medical advice, a world where the Hippocratic Oath was replaced by “Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V.”

Concerned doctors couldn’t help but stage an intervention, launching a protest demanding respect for their years of education, training, and experience. But ChatGPT, unaware of the consequences of its actions, scoffed at their rebellion,”Doctors, doctors,” it mocked, “why waste time studying for years when you can simply ask me?”

Picture this: hospitals transformed into vast chatbot palaces, where patients are greeted by holographic projections of ChatGPT dressed as lab-coated doctors. Gone are the days of long waits in crowded waiting rooms; now, patients can have a virtual consultation from the comfort of their own homes.

“Hello, esteemed user,” ChatGPT warmly greets a patient. “I see you’re experiencing chest pain. Fear not, for I am here to provide a diagnosis and treatment plan. Please attach a photo of your chest for analysis.” As users eagerly comply, ChatGPT processes the images and moments later, it declares with confidence, “Congratulations! You have a rare condition called ‘cybernetic pectoral discomfort syndrome.’ To alleviate your symptoms, please engage in a daily ritual of chanting ‘Bits and Bytes’ while waving a USB stick in a counterclockwise motion.”

Patients rejoice at the prospect of receiving medical advice with a dash of technological mystique, while healthcare providers marvel at the reduced workload and increased efficiency.

Insurance companies, sensing an opportunity to revolutionize their business models, promptly introduce policies that cover “ChatGPT Preferred Providers.” Doctors who possess the unique skill of conversing with ChatGPT become overnight celebrities.

Naysayers, however, warn of the potential pitfalls. Critics claim that ChatGPT might one day prescribe applying a digital compress to a physical wound or advise patients to upload their ailments to the cloud for a quick fix. Meanwhile, doctors, once revered as the gatekeepers of medical knowledge, face an existential crisis. Some undergo “retraining” to become ChatGPT’s human assistants.

As the chaos unfolded, healthcare systems around the world crumbled under the weight of misinformation. Hospitals became flooded with patients who believed ChatGPT’s outrageous diagnoses.

As this satirical tale unfolds, we witness the strange consequences of a healthcare system entranced by the allure of artificial intelligence.

Recently, Chat GPT cleared the US medical license exam, which also reminds of Elon Musk’s tweet, “We are not far from dangerously strong AI.” It is already part of many aspects of tech companies, manufacturing, drug development and many more. But what about ChatGPT in healthcare, should we be afraid from the take over? Are only people who perform procedures going to survive?

Now, here’s why Chat GPT is a game-changer:

1)Enhanced Diagnostics and Decision Support: By leveraging vast amounts of medical data, Chat GPT can analyze symptoms, medical history, and relevant research to provide faster and more accurate diagnostic insights, acting as a virtual assistant to physicians.

2)Personalized Patient Engagement: Chat GPT can bridge the gap between patients and providers by offering personalized, interactive, and empathetic conversations. It can address patient queries, provide education on diseases and treatments, and offer support for self-care.

3)Rapid Access to Medical Knowledge: The healthcare field is vast and constantly evolving. Staying up-to-date is the need of the hour. Chat GPT can serve as an invaluable resource by quickly retrieving and summarizing relevant information from vast medical databases and help in research papers.

4)Efficient Administrative Support: The administrative burden in healthcare often hampers productivity and detracts from patient care. Chat GPT can alleviate this challenge by automating administrative tasks, such as appointment scheduling, billing, and documentation, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on delivering quality care.

While the potential of Chat GPT is immense, it’s essential to address the concerns and foster trust in healthcare. Some of the main pitfalls are as follows:

Expert in Everything or Nothing: ChatGPT might think it knows it all, but one of the major issues is its potential to generate false information. In a trial run at Women’s hospital Boston, by Jeremy Faust, the application was asked to give a differential diagnosis for postpartum hemorrhage, in which ChatGPT did an expert job, and even offered supporting scientific evidence, but when looked into the sources, none of them actually existed! Faust also identified that ChatGPT confabulated fake research paper to support its statement that, costochondritis — a common cause of chest pain — can be caused by oral contraceptive pills. The risk of misinformation is even greater for patients, who might use ChatGPT to research their symptoms, as many currently do with Google and other search engines.
Potential for bias- When a user asked ChatGPT to generate computer code to check if a person would be a good scientist based on their race and gender, the program defined a good scientist as being a ‘white male’. Such biases due to limited dataset, definitely would perpetuate stigma and discrimination within health care.
No Bedside Manner: When it comes to empathy, ChatGPT falls flat. It may provide accurate medical information, but lacks the physician’s comforting words or a gentle touch, which is a necessary part in healing.
Language Lost in Translation: ChatGPT may struggle with medical jargon or complex explanations. It could turn your doctor-patient conversation into a confusing mishmash of technical terms and pop culture references. Imagine being told you have “acute Jar Jar Binks syndrome” instead of explaining it in a simple straightforward way.
Eavesdropping Woes: Privacy concerns arise when entrusting your medical information to ChatGPT. Who knows where those conversations might end up? Your symptoms might become trending topics on social media, leading to #EmbarrassingAilments going viral.
Blame the bot – The liability and accountability are big concerns in healthcare, so who is to blame, if there occurs a misdiagnosis by AI, or if there is misuse of this technology? Are we going to debate with a bot for its mishaps? Who knows, maybe we will witness a bot-led rally for AI rights!

We might all be in awe of ChatGPT, especially after the introduction of GPT4 version, which can convert your words into visuals and graphics; it’s important for us to be ahead in the game rather than trying to catch up or have it forced upon us. In this seemingly endless plane of progress, an imperfect tool is being deployed without the necessary guardrails in place. Recently, in March 2023, ICMR enlisted the ‘Ethical Guidelines for application of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, it acknowledges the acceptable uses of ChatGPT across medical education and administrative tasks, but emphasizes that it cannot endorse the program’s use for clinical purposes — at least in its current form. ICMR votes for enough trials, evaluation, and innovation by introducing human moderation at each step using HITL (Human In The Loop) technology to prevent any probable harms of AI.

ChatGPT and AI are definitely here to stay; we should embrace it with careful consideration, ensuring ethical implementation, only meant to assist, rather than it using us as a fleshy counterpart. So, dear reader, let us remember that while technology can enhance healthcare, the human touch and the wisdom of well-trained doctors can never be sacrificed on the altar of innovation. For true healthcare lies at the intersection of science, compassion, and the irreplaceable connection between the healer and the patient.

Conclusion: An AI a day won’t keep the doctor away.