A new study suggests that artificial intelligence chat bots such as ChatGPT may be almost as effective as asking a doctor for advice about low back pain.
The research, carried out by an international team, reveals the potential of artificial intelligence to solve one of the world’s leading causes of disability.
Associate Professor Bruno Tirotti Saragiotto, co-author of the study and director of physiotherapy at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), said the aim of the study was to assess how effectively AI chatbots such as ChatGPT could answer common questions posed by patients with low back pain.
The study, titled “Evaluating the Performance of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots in Answering Patients ‘Common Questions about Low Back Pain,” was recently published in the journal Annals of Rheumatology.
Low back pain affects millions of people around the world, often prompting patients to seek information online.
As AI chatbots become increasingly common in providing health advice, it is important to understand the accuracy of their suggestions.
“The results of the study suggest that AI chatbots can provide advice with accuracy comparable to that reported by Australia healthcare professionals,” said Associate Professor Sarah Giotto.
Research has found that AI-intelligent chatbots perform well in answering questions related to recommended treatment and self-management, while risk factors have the highest accuracy.
Such as “What complementary therapies such as massage or acupuncture can relieve low back pain?” and other questions. Accurate advice was received. The study also pointed out that artificial intelligence chat bots always recommend exercise to prevent and manage low back pain, which is considered accurate advice.
However, the study also showed that AI chatbots provide inaccurate advice on other common questions. For example, although poor posture does not cause low back pain, artificial intelligence chat robots say it causes low back pain in 88% of cases.
Another key observation is the ability of AI chatbots to identify situations that require medical referral. In cases where professional care needs to be recommended, AI systems advise users to consult their healthcare provider 70%-100% of the time.
Dr. Giovanni Ferreira, a researcher and co-author at the University of Sydney’s Musculoskeletal Health Institute, said: “Our research shows that AI chatbots have the potential to become a valuable resource for those seeking initial guidance in managing low back pain.” Research.
“It’s worth noting that these tools should supplement rather than replace professional medical advice.” Dr. Ferreira said.
Despite these encouraging results, researchers have found limitations in the performance of AI chatbots. It is worth noting that responses are often complex and have a level of readability suitable for individuals with a 10th to 12th grade or college education.
“While the accuracy of the AI-generated recommendations is impressive, we must consider the accessibility of this information,” said Associate Professor Sarah Giotto.
“Ensuring that a broad audience can understand health guidance remains an important challenge in the development of artificial intelligence health tools.”
The research was conducted against the backdrop of people’s increasing reliance on digital health information, with many patients turning to online resources instead before or no longer consulting with a health care professional.
Associate Professor Saragiotto emphasized the importance of understanding the capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence resources in managing common health problems such as low back pain.
“As artificial intelligence technology continues to evolve, further research is needed to improve these tools and ensure they can provide accurate, accessible and safe health information to the public,” he said.
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Original text:https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-ai-chatbots-rival-doctors-accuracy.html
More information: Simone PS Scaff et al., Evaluating the performance of artificial intelligence chat robots in answering patients ‘common questions about low back pain, Annals of Rheumatology (2024). DOI：10.1136/ard-2024-226202
Journal Information: Annals of Rheumatology
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