In real-world test, an AI model did better than ER doctors at diagnosing patients

Health In real-world test, an AI model did better than ER doctors at diagnosing patients April 30, 20262:00 PM ET By  Will Stone Researchers tested an AI model against ER doctors and found the model outperformed the humans. shapecharge/E+/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption shapecharge/E+/Getty Images A patient shows up at the hospital with a pulmonary embolism — a blood clot that has traveled to the lungs. After initially improving, their symptoms start to worsen. The medical team suspects the medication isn't working. In steps artificial intelligence — with its own theory. It has scanned the medical records and suspects a history of lupus, an autoimmune condition which can lead to heart inflammation, could explain what was really ailing the patient. Turns out, the AI model is correct. Sponsor Message Living Better 'ChatGPT saved my life.' How patients, and doctors, are using AI to make a diagnosis This type of scenario could become a reality in the-not-too-distant future, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. Researchers based at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that an AI reasoning model, developed by OpenAI, excelled at diagnosing patients and making decisions about managing their care. It matched and often outperformed doctors and the earlier AI model, Chat GPT-4. The researchers ran a series of experiments on the AI model to test its clinical acumen — including actual cases like the lupus patient who'd been previously treated at the emergency department at Beth Israel in Boston. The team graded how well the AI model could provide an accurate diagnosis at three moments in time, from the triage stage in the ER, up to being admitted into the hospital. Overall, AI outperformed two experienced physicians — and did so with only the electronic health records and the limited information that had been available to the physicians at the time. "This is the big conclusion for me — it works with the m...