Patient funds expand use of artificial intelligence... doctors warn of its errors

Patient funds in Israel are expanding the use of artificial intelligence to diagnose risks and suggest treatments, amid warnings of errors that could endanger patients and erode doctors' skills, in the absence of legal regulation.

Patient funds in Israel are expanding the use of artificial intelligence to include health risk diagnosis and treatment suggestions, according to a report published by Haaretz on Wednesday. The four funds are moving from streamlining administrative procedures to analyzing tests and predicting diseases, raising questions about the accuracy of these systems and responsibility for their errors, and whether they serve patient needs or cost-cutting considerations. Deputy Director of Innovation and Research at Maccabi, Dr. Michal Tzukhman Katz, said that 'there is not a single field today where artificial intelligence is not involved,' noting its use in preventive medicine, risk identification, and treatment personalization, including a model that identifies people at risk for colon cancer who were not detected by routine screenings. However, Chair of the Israeli Association of Family Medicine, Dr. Yael Levni Gelerman, warned against relying solely on measurable indicators, explaining that systems may not detect mood changes or mild cognitive decline.