Partners in Practice: Primary Care Physicians Define the Role of Artificial Intelligence

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Innovation
• Health Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) offers significant potential to enhance primary care through improved diagnostics and streamlined workflows.
• Barriers to AI integration include primary care physician (PCP) concerns regarding workflow disruption, reliability, and maintaining the human element in care.
• This study investigates PCP perspectives on AI integration to guide the development of practical, human-centered AI tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore primary care physicians' (PCPs) views and challenges regarding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into primary care settings.
• To inform the design of AI tools that are practical, user-friendly, and align with the needs of primary care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving four focus groups (n=40) with PCPs, residents, and AI developers.
• Thematic analysis of recorded and transcribed focus group sessions.
• Exploration of themes including technological gaps, AI integration challenges, and future AI solutions.

Main Results:

• PCPs advocate for incremental AI adoption, beginning with administrative tasks and advancing to clinical decision support.
• AI systems should function as "silent partners" to augment, not replace, physician judgment.
• Human-centered design is crucial to maintain the doctor-patient relationship while leveraging AI for reduced administrative burden and improved care quality.

Conclusions:

• Successful AI integration in primary care necessitates addressing workflow compatibility and ethical considerations.
• Collaborative development is key to preserving clinical autonomy and ensuring AI tools support, rather than hinder, effective patient care.
• Prioritizing human-centered design will facilitate the adoption of AI in primary care.