How ChatGPT AI Will Change Our World in Medicine and Diabetes

What is ChatGPT AI and how will artificial intelligence will change our world in medicine and in diabetes management?

You cannot look online at any medical journal or a news outlet regarding diabetes and medicine without seeing something about a world moving towards the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

It sounds a little creepy but all change is usually uncomfortable at the beginning. To dip my toes into AI, I asked ChatGPT to explain what it is?

This is the answer that I got:

“ChatGPT is an advanced artificial intelligence program developed by OpenAI. It’s designed to
understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives. You can think of it as a
highly sophisticated chatbot that can engage in conversations, answer questions, and even
assist with certain tasks by processing and generating language in a way that’s similar to how
humans communicate. This makes it useful for a wide range of applications, from customer
service to education and entertainment.”

So then, I asked it to explain that in simpler terms and abracadabra…

This is the answer that I got:

“ChatGPT is like a smart robot that can talk and write like a human. It listens to what you say or
write and then gives answers or helps with what you need, using words. It’s like having a
conversation with a very knowledgeable friend who can help with lots of different questions.”

Well, that sounds very nice and friendly. So, what is all the hubbub about?

Here are some of the recent headlines that came across my desk from the few diabetes professional journals that give me 6-8 current or cutting-edge topics that are being studied in the diabetes world.

• ChatGPT Will Reduce Clinician Burnout, If DoctorsEmbrace It
  by Robert Pearl, M.D.

• ChatGPT: the Napster of the AI world?
  Paradigm shift: Just as Napster changed how people consumed music, ChatGPT could change how we interact with AI-driven services, making them more accessible and user-friendly.

• Many health execs plan to adopt generative AI within a year

• Chatbots outperformed doctors in answering patient questions with accuracy and empathy: JAMA study

So once again, the went back to the source and asked ChatGPT how its use could help healthcare providers provide better diabetes care

And here is what it said:

The integration of ChatGPT into diabetes care by healthcare providers can offer several potential benefits:

1. Enhanced Patient Education: ChatGPT can assist in providing detailed, understandable information about diabetes management, including diet, exercise, medication adherence, and monitoring blood sugar levels. It can help in explaining complex medical terms in simpler language, making it easier for patients to understand their condition and the importance of their care plan.
   
2. Personalized Care Recommendations: By analyzing patient data and preferences, ChatGPT can assist healthcare providers in offering personalized care recommendations. This includes dietary advice, exercise plans, and medication adjustments, tailored to the individual needs and lifestyle of each patient.
3. Time Efficiency: ChatGPT can handle routine inquiries and provide instant responses to common patient questions, freeing up healthcare professionals to focus on more complex patient care tasks. This can improve clinic efficiency and reduce waiting times for patients.
4. Remote Monitoring and Support: ChatGPT can be used for remote monitoring of patients with diabetes, providing them with support and guidance between clinic visits. This includes reminders for medication, appointments, and encouragement for lifestyle changes.
5. Early Detection of Complications: With its ability to analyze patient data and responses, ChatGPT can assist in the early detection of potential diabetes complications. It can alert healthcare providers to changes in a patient’s condition that may require immediate attention.
6. Improved Patient Engagement: Interactive tools like ChatGPT can increase patient engagement in their own care. By providing a user-friendly platform for communication, it can encourage patients to be more proactive in managing their diabetes.
7. Mental Health Support: ChatGPT can also provide psychological support, helping to address common mental health challenges associated with chronic disease management such as stress, anxiety, and depression.
8. Customized Follow-Up and Reminders: It can send tailored follow-up messages and reminders for appointments, medication intake, and routine checks, helping patients adhere to their treatment plan.
9. Data Collection and Analysis: ChatGPT can assist in collecting and analyzing patient data over time, providing healthcare providers with insights into treatment effectiveness and patient compliance.
10. Support for Healthcare Staff: Beyond patient interaction, ChatGPT can assist healthcare staff with information retrieval, summarizing the latest diabetes research, and providing updates on best practices in diabetes care.

It’s important to note that while ChatGPT and similar AI tools can significantly augment healthcare services, they should not replace professional medical advice or the personalized care provided by healthcare professionals. The technology should be used as a complementary tool within the broader context of patient care.

I personally am quite excited by the capabilities of AI in the world of diabetes. Do I think it will replace my job, no. Do I think it could help to streamline parts of my job, yes. In medicine we spend way too much time on paperwork and anything that can decrease that is a positive.

Diabetes is a unique condition where there are general guidelines that are the same for everyone. But diabetes is also a very individualized condition where everyone responds differently to every meal, every insulin injection or bolus, any exercise, stress, caffeine and on and on. Managing diabetes well takes a team. The person with diabetes will do better if they learn how to interpret their own patterns and all the variables affecting their life. That is role of a good diabetes support team. They teach you how to understand YOUR diabetes. You manage your own diabetes 99% of the time and see a healthcare professional about 1% of your time.

Having years of personal and professional experience with diabetes cannot be replaced by AI. But I would be happy to give up some of the paperwork to any AI bot that wants to take it.