Not sure if this post is going to go anywhere…
In the past year or so I’ve seen many posts to this forum which were obviously composed by AIs, several by vendors of AI products and lots of people just speculating how AI can transform OpenEMR.
I wonder if we need to have a discussion that spells out different considerations of the topic. Like, how deeply should it be coded into OpenEMR; what are the legal ramifications that our users and devs see for AI in the work they do; how- or if- it affects the FOSS nature of the application?
An interesting article from Natl Inst of Health
states this in the conclusion of its abstract:
‘…while AI presents the opportunity for a health care revolution, it is imperative to address the ethical, regulatory, and safety challenges linked to its integration. Proactive measures are required to ensure that AI technologies are developed and deployed responsibly, striking a balance between innovation and the safeguarding of patient well-being.’
I wonder if it would be useful to discuss some overarching framework for its use in OpenEMR or shall we just ‘hack on’, adding whatever functionalities and features seem cool?
To discuss benefits and risks of AI, you have to first define its role. If you define it as advertised, an “aiding” tool to providers, how would you justify adding another layer of regulation on top of the many that providers are already coerced to obey if it is indeed the provider who is aided rather than an aidee?
Unfortunately, corporate healthcare will unlikely permit you to just ‘hack on.’ They have implied and in some instances pushed for out loud that in contrast to advertisements, a mistake made by a provider that could’ve been prevented by AI should and will be considered medical malpractice.
The most likely scenario is the most logical and historical: Corporate healthcare will create AI in its image, FDA ONC and other regulatory entities will filter out AI IT developers that can’t sustain / call bluff on their corporate-favoring AI rules, and EMR developers / clinical providers will have to pay up and kneel or mow lawns for a living.