Daily · Post Line
The UK needs new regulations for AI products used in the NHS and other healthcare settings, according to Britain's industry watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The agency has released 44 recommendations to modernize its policies as AI adoption in healthcare grows. MHRA chief Lawrence Tallon told the BBC that patients will increasingly see AI as part of normal NHS healthcare, emphasizing the need to maintain trust and confidence.
The report, compiled by an independent commission involving over 12,000 participants including patients and clinicians, proposes several key measures: - Continuously monitoring AI products and removing them if they malfunction or degrade over time. - Ensuring patients are informed about AI involvement in their care and have easy access to product details. - Allowing penalties for developers of AI products that fail to meet standards. - Implementing an 'AI L plate' system for supervised trials by healthcare professionals.
Tallon noted that current regulatory frameworks, designed for static medical devices like hip replacements or stethoscopes, are inadequate for AI products that evolve post-authorization. He acknowledged the global challenge of regulating AI, stating no single country has fully mastered this task.
AI note-takers, or scribes powered by large language models (LLMs), are currently used by 40% of UK-based GPs to record consultations and generate reports. However, a University of Edinburgh study found patients may be less likely to disclose personal information, such as substance abuse history, if they believe their conversation is being processed by AI. Professor Henrietta Hughes, a GP involved in the report, said while many patients are comfortable with AI use, some prefer not to interact with AI during consultations. Hughes emphasized that while AI scribes can make errors, doctors are responsible for correcting them.
Beyond administrative tasks and symptom-spotting, AI holds significant potential in healthcare and medical research. Professor Alastair Denniston, an ophthalmologist on the report, described AI as an exceptional opportunity for healthcare, comparable to advancements like antibiotics and MRI. In September, Arm CEO Rene Haas predicted AI could lead to a cancer cure within our lifetime.
Concerns remain about AI models making biased decisions due to training data issues and incorrect medical advice from AI chatbots.
Source: bbc.com
