The relationship between patient and caregiver ensures trust in the healthcare system. With the advent of AI in the medical landscape, this relationship is transformed and a duality emerges.
The human relationship between patient and caregiver ensures well-being and trust in the health system. With the advent of new technologies in the medical landscape, notably Artificial Intelligence, this relationship is gradually transformed and a duality emerges. On the one hand, the hope that the integration of AI will free up time for healthcare professionals, thus strengthening patient support, on the other hand, the fear of dehumanizing care. With the launch of the “Digital Health” system in 2021, an initiative promoting the emergence of innovative digital health solutions, and the growing adoption of AI by caregivers (54% in 2024)(1), France wishes position itself as a world leader in the field of e-health. In this context, how can we ensure that AI serves the interests of professionals and patients, while preserving the quality of the patient-caregiver relationship?
The integration of artificial intelligence in the health sector
AI offers many opportunities for medical teams and healthcare centers. Despite concerns about possible dehumanization of care, statistics show significant adoption of AI by healthcare professionals. Among its most widespread uses, it facilitates access to medical information (46%), offers specialized training to health professionals (37%) and contributes to the prescription of appropriate treatments (28%). ²
Its increasing integration into medical practices and hospital systems, through technologies such as chatbots and health tracking applications, allows patients to benefit from access to comprehensive medical information, as well as advice on faster way. According to Salesforce, 86% of customers would rather get a response from a chatbot than fill out a form on a website, a preference also seen in the healthcare industry. Chatbots offer a personal and anonymous alternative to interacting with healthcare services.
Automate the management of administrative tasks to optimize patient care
Chatbots particularly stand out in the automation and simplification of administrative formalities, as well as access to medical information. With their ability to handle multiple queries simultaneously, bots reduce wait times, improving patient experience and increasing satisfaction rates. Accessible 24/7, they offer an immediate and automated response to recurring requests, such as making appointments, opening hours, issuing medical documents or administrative procedures. It is also a way to redirect patients to the right specialty, to provide prevention, and to provide initial advice on various subjects such as stopping smoking, stress management or healthy eating.
These benefits are not only limited to patients, but also benefit healthcare professionals. By significantly reducing the time spent on administrative tasks and freeing them from these repetitive responsibilities, chatbots allow caregivers to devote more time to listening and supporting patients, thus strengthening the human relationship at the heart of care. In fact, 71% of them would like the assistance of AI to help them manage administrative tasks.³
However, adopting this technology is not without challenges and risks. Chatbots are not designed to make diagnoses and are not intended to replace healthcare professionals. On a technical level, healthcare chatbots must be rigorously designed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information provided. Additionally, there are concerns around data security and patient information privacy, requiring special attention to ensure transparency and user trust.
The need to ensure the protection of medical confidentiality
It is essential to ensure the protection of medical confidentiality and its ethical use so that AI benefits both professionals and patients. Currently, the deterioration of the caregiver-patient relationship is one of the main concerns of doctors at 49%. Familiarization with AI is necessary for effective use, while raising awareness of the associated ethical, legal and social issues. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure that these AIs are used responsibly, by establishing clear standards and regulations to protect patient privacy and guarantee the transparency, reliability and confidentiality of the systems used. In this sense, the HDS (Health Data Host) certification was established in order to strengthen the protection of personal health data and build a climate of trust around e-health and patient monitoring.
Rather than fearing the dehumanization of medicine, we should consider AI as essential tools to address the major challenges facing the healthcare sector. Medical chatbots are a concrete example of the positive impact of artificial intelligence in the medical field. By relieving professionals from time-consuming and repetitive tasks linked to administrative management, medical chatbots complement traditional services and thus allow caregivers to concentrate on their primary mission: providing personalized, quality care to each patient.
