Educators in Medicine,
In this newsletter, we continue our journey through the fundamentals of AI, its applications in medicine, and its transformative role in faculty development and education. Let’s dive into learning.
AI 101 - A Primer on Artificial Intelligence
The clouds of updates surrounding publicly available AI continue to rain. In the past two weeks, I’ve come across several things highlighting its variety of applications. Here are 3 that I wanted to share with you.
We touched on Google’s Gemini last episode. Our last post was focused on medical applications. At the Google I/O 2024 event, Google announced the Gemini AI system that integrates into Google Workspace, automating workflows across multiple applications like Gmail and Google Docs. This system promises to improve efficiency by learning user preferences and optimizing routine tasks (Yahoo).
If your institution uses Google, it will be an opportunity to explore. So far, with Copilot on Office, I am not terribly impressed with the draft emails or the assistance in Microsoft Word. I think competition will drive higher performance and innovation however, and no better competitor than Google.
I watched their video summary of the event, Gemini will change how we do many regular things. One of the examples that stood out (because it is painful…every time) was on returns of online purchases . Gemini will have the capacity to handle all the details, even schedule your return’s pickup, all with a photo of the item you want to return. It will go through your gmail, find the relevant data, and prepare your shipping label, etc. AI is impacting every space.
MIT Technology Review reports that AI-generated content, including deepfakes, is becoming increasingly sophisticated and accessible, posing both opportunities and risks. Generative AI is being utilized in creative industries, such as design, filmmaking and marketing, where tools like Synthesia can create realistic avatars for various applications. We’ve touched on this before, but now the sophistication and quality is expected to skyrocket with the advanced models. GPT 4.5 is anticipated in the next few months and will impact these capabilities..
These tools will take your text and make you a video. This technology's potential for misuse, especially in spreading disinformation during elections, has also raised significant concerns (MIT Technology Review). The risks are local to international with misinformation. I’ve discussed the utility of these video makers for teaching, but as we know - garbage in, garbage out.
Lastly, Nature published findings showing that AI now outperforms humans in several basic tasks, suggesting that new benchmarks are needed to evaluate AI performance. This underscores the importance of developing robust evaluation methods to keep pace with AI's growing capabilities (Nature). I foresee this being the case in medicine. There is a need for building the boundaries for appropriate use, and deciding how we will gauge its work.
AI in Education
A case for our learning
Dr. Rodriguez, a faculty member at a leading medical school, noticed that traditional teaching methods were not fully engaging her students and residents. She decided to integrate AI tools into her curriculum to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. Over the past two months, Dr. Rodriguez explored several AI advancements and implemented them in her teaching strategy.
Dr. Rodriguez introduced AI-driven virtual patients into her curriculum, allowing students to interact with lifelike simulations. These virtual patients provided hands-on learning experiences in diagnosing and treating conditions, helping students develop their clinical skills and confidence in real-life scenarios (GulfNews).
To enhance practical skills, Dr. Rodriguez used VR and AR technologies. These immersive tools allowed students to practice complex procedures in a safe, controlled environment. This method provided valuable hands-on experience, particularly for high-risk or infrequently performed procedures (The RN Network). I found this as one sample that can accomplish her teaching goals.
When do we as clinician-educators tip the scales towards exploring new teaching methods? I want to encourage you to do so
The use of AI-driven tools significantly increases student engagement. In her case, the interactive nature of virtual patients and the personalized learning experiences kept students motivated and actively involved in their studies. I imagine personalized learning materials and VR/AR simulations would be fun, and that would support learner grasp of difficult concepts more effectively.
What Can I Do Now?
I wanted to share with you all news that hit home for me as a clinician.
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) released guidelines on the incorporation of AI into medical practice, emphasizing the need for ethical use, ongoing education, and patient safety. The guidelines highlight the importance of transparency in AI algorithms, ensuring they are free from bias, and maintaining patient confidentiality. This all is vital. They also stress the necessity for continuous education of healthcare professionals on AI advancements to enhance their understanding and application of these technologies safely and effectively.
They also address liability concerns, advising that physicians, health systems, and developers work together to mitigate risks and ensure patient safety. Essentially, if I use AI tool “X” for patient care, I am still liable for all its use entails.
Takeaway Points:
Ensure transparency and bias-free AI algorithms.
Maintain patient confidentiality with AI use.
Provide continuous AI education for healthcare professionals.
For detailed guidelines, please refer to the FSMB's policy document.
As always - get in touch and let me know your thoughts!
Thank you for joining us on this adventure. Stay tuned for more AI insights, best practices, and more future editions of AI+MedEd.
For education and innovation,
Karim
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