An Ethically Supported Framework for Determining Patient Notification and Informed Consent Practices When Using...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Technology
• Medical Ethics
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly integrating into healthcare delivery.
• Lack of standardized ethical guidelines for AI notification risks patient mistrust.
• Hospital leaders require guidance on patient communication regarding AI in care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a framework for hospital leaders to determine when patients should be informed about AI use.
• To establish criteria for categorizing AI technologies based on notification and informed consent requirements.
• To promote ethical and transparent AI implementation in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a 5-criteria framework for evaluating AI use-cases: autonomy, departure from standards, patient-facing nature, clinical risk, and administrative burden.
• Utilized case examples to illustrate the application of the proposed framework.
• Categorized AI technologies into: no notification/informed consent, notification only, and formal informed consent.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework offers a structured approach to AI use-case evaluation.
• Identified key factors influencing the level of patient notification and informed consent required.
• Demonstrated how to apply the framework using a healthcare AI case example.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework can serve as a foundation for developing consensus on AI notification and informed consent standards.
• Ethical and transparent communication about AI in patient care is crucial for building trust.
• Standardized guidelines are needed as AI becomes more prevalent in healthcare.