Artificial Intelligence and Your Health: What Kidney Patients Need to Know

This technology learns patterns from large amounts of healthcare data, which allows it to offer insights and assist healthcare providers in their work. Large Language Models (LLMs) are a special type of AI designed to understand and generate human language. This resource can help by answering medical questions and supporting patient communication. With the wide dissemination of this technology, kidney patients and their families and caregivers now also have access to this new tool. Examples of AI platforms for public use include ChatGPT, Google Health AI and WebMD Symptom Checker among others. Given its enormous potential, it is critical that as a kidney patient you know the strengths and limitations of these AI platforms. With this insight and with due caution, AI can become a “digital ally” to enhance your knowledge, facilitate healthcare communication and ultimately improve your kidney health.

When NOT to Use AI

Before discussing how AI can fit into your health management, it is important to emphasize when NOT to utilize it! If you ever think you are experiencing a medical emergency such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, fever or stroke-like symptoms, your response should always be to solicit in-person medical attention immediately. In this situation you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room depending on the circumstances. Time spent using online AI applications for advice may result in life threatening delays regardless of the quality of that advice.

Gaining Knowledge and Asking the Right Questions

AI can be a powerful ally in gaining knowledge about your kidney condition by locating and summarizing detailed and complex information. In this process, you may encounter unfamiliar medical jargon and terms. Using AI to explain these terms and testing your comprehension through interactive dialogue can significantly enhance your understanding of your condition. This interactive learning will empower you, but it is crucial to CONFIRM the accuracy of your understanding during your appointments with your healthcare provider. By doing so, you can also develop more PERTINENT questions regarding your condition, your medications or any other aspect of your care. This preparation ensures that your doctor visits, often limited to 15 minutes, will be more productive and informative. Through this process, AI can help you become a more engaged and informed participant in your healthcare, leading to better communication and outcomes with your kidney specialist.

Communication

Individuals who struggle with verbal or written communication can use AI to help them summarize, paraphrase, and articulate their symptoms and concerns more effectively using online patient communication portals. This is provided you UNDERSTAND and AGREE with the computer-generated messages before you hit the send button. If one does not comprehend what AI has developed or does not feel it conveys their desired message, then a verbal interaction with a provider (either in-person or over the phone) is more appropriate.

AI as a Support Tool: Enhancing, Not Replacing

As a kidney patient, you might have concerns about your healthcare provider using AI for your treatment, possibly feeling apprehensive about being “treated by robots” rather than real people. It’s important to know that  AI is designed to assist, not replace, healthcare professionals. While AI can provide valuable health recommendations and analyze complex data, it relies on the expertise and judgment of doctors to interpret and apply this information appropriately.

AI serves as a supplementary tool that enhances a doctor’s ability to diagnose and treat, but your care is always grounded in human oversight. Healthcare professionals are the ones who review, interpret, and contextualize AI-generated insights to make final recommendations tailored to your unique condition. AI contributes to your care; it is not a decider; it provides supporting information, while the final judgment and decision-making remain firmly with you and your healthcare team.

It is completely valid to have questions or concerns about the role of AI in your management. Feel free to ask your healthcare team if and where AI is being used in your care. Open communication can help you understand how AI is integrated into your treatment and reassure you that it is a tool employed to enhance, not replace human expertise. By actively engaging with your healthcare provider and asking questions about how AI is being used in your care, you can gain greater confidence in the process. Remember, the goal is to combine the strengths of AI with human expertise, ensuring you receive the best possible care for your kidney condition.

Limitations of AI

As a kidney patient, it’s important to understand that AI has its limitations. The effectiveness of AI depends greatly on the training data it was built on, which may not always apply to your unique circumstances. While AI can provide general recommendations based on historical data, it might miss out on the individual nuances of your condition.

Additionally, AI is not infallible and can sometimes generate errors in its answers. One of the biggest limitations is that AI relies solely on the information you provide and cannot process non-verbal cues or behaviors that a human provider can easily pick up. For example, you might not feel particularly short of breath in the moment, but a physician observing you might notice that you are breathing heavily, look sweaty, or seem uncomfortable. These subtle signs can convey significant clinical information to a healthcare provider who knows you and can observe you directly—something that AI simply cannot replicate.

Furthermore, other physical or behavioral cues, such as simply “not looking like yourself” as noted by a physician familiar with you, can
be critical in diagnosing and managing your condition. Even if you don’t recognize these signs yourself, they might be very apparent to a human provider. This can make a significant difference in understanding your overall health and adjusting your treatment plan.

These limitations underscore the necessity of involving healthcare providers for a comprehensive and accurate assessment

Privacy and Avoiding Sensitive Information

When using AI tools, it’s vital to be mindful of your privacy and avoiding entering sensitive information is vital. Unlike the secure environment of a doctor’s office, online AI platforms may not offer the same level of confidentiality and data protection. Always be cautious about sharing personal health details and adhere to best practices for safeguarding your information.

Summary

In conclusion, while AI is a promising technology that can significantly enhance patient care and communication, it is imperative to use it wisely and in conjunction with professional medical advice. Kidney Patients can benefit from AI by staying informed, asking questions, and always prioritizing direct human medical expertise in emergencies or when uncertainty arises. AI has the potential to be a valuable tool in your healthcare journey, but it should be used to complement, not replace, the critical insights and care provided by your healthcare team.

This article was originally published in the Jan./Feb. issue of aakpRENALIFE.