A recent study conducted by researchers at Cedars-Sinai has shown that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots may be used to improve health outcomes for patients with cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The study found that ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, could provide patients with easy-to-understand information about basic knowledge, lifestyle, and treatments for these conditions.
Patients with cirrhosis and liver cancer often require extensive treatment, which can be complex and challenging to manage.
These patients and their caregivers often have unmet needs and insufficient knowledge about managing and preventing complications of their disease.
The complexity of the care required for this patient population makes patient empowerment with knowledge about their disease crucial for optimal outcomes.
ChatGPT has shown potential for medical professionals by writing basic medical reports and correctly answering medical student examination questions.
The AI system is already popular for its human-like text in chatbot conversations where users can input any prompt and it will generate a response based on the information stored in its database.
In the study, the researchers presented ChatGPT with 164 frequently asked questions in five categories related to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The ChatGPT answers were then graded independently by two liver transplant specialists. ChatGPT answered about 77% of the questions correctly, providing high levels of accuracy in 91 questions from a variety of categories.
The AI model also provided practical and useful advice to patients and caregivers regarding the next steps in adjusting to a new diagnosis.
However, the study left no doubt that advice from a physician was superior.
While the model was able to demonstrate strong capability in the basic knowledge, lifestyle, and treatment domains, it suffered on the ability to provide tailored recommendations according to the region where the inquirer lived.
This is most likely due to the varied recommendations in liver cancer surveillance intervals and indications reported by different professional societies.
The study highlights the potential for AI chatbots like ChatGPT to play a role in clinical practice, particularly in providing patients with access to reliable and accurate health information that is easy to understand.
However, the researchers caution that the tool should be viewed as an adjunctive tool for physicians and not a replacement.
More research is still needed to better examine the tool in patient education, but the findings are promising and suggest that AI-assisted care could become the future of medicine.
How to prevent liver diseases
Liver disease can be a serious and potentially life-threatening condition, so it’s important to take steps to prevent it. Here are some ways to prevent liver disease:
Limit alcohol consumption: Excessive alcohol consumption can damage liver cells, leading to inflammation and scarring of the liver.
Men should limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day, while women should limit consumption to one drink per day.
Maintain a healthy weight: Obesity can cause fatty liver disease, which can progress to liver damage and eventually liver failure. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help maintain a healthy weight.
Get vaccinated: Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B, which can cause serious liver damage. Getting vaccinated can help prevent these diseases.
Practice safe sex: Hepatitis B and C can be transmitted through unprotected sex. Practicing safe sex can help prevent the spread of these diseases.
Avoid sharing needles: Hepatitis B and C can also be transmitted through sharing needles. Avoiding the use of needles or using clean needles can help prevent the spread of these diseases.
Take medications as prescribed: Some medications can be harmful to the liver. It’s important to take medications only as prescribed by a healthcare provider and to avoid taking more than the recommended dose.
Avoid exposure to toxins: Certain chemicals and toxins can damage the liver. Avoiding exposure to these substances can help prevent liver damage. This includes avoiding exposure to pesticides, cleaning chemicals, and other toxic substances.
Eat a healthy diet: Eating a healthy diet that is low in saturated and trans fats and high in fiber can help prevent fatty liver disease and other types of liver damage.
Manage chronic conditions: Chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can increase the risk of liver disease. Managing these conditions through lifestyle changes and medication can help prevent liver damage.
By following these steps, you can reduce your risk of developing liver disease and maintain good liver health.
It’s also important to talk to your healthcare provider about any concerns you have about your liver health and to get regular check-ups and screenings.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more information about liver health, please see recent studies that anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The study was conducted by Yee Hui et al and published in Clinical and Molecular Hepatology.
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