Older adults with cancer have special challenges when talking to healthcare providers. Many have other health problems besides cancer. This makes their care more complex. Also, many older adults are not very familiar with technology. This makes it harder for them to use digital health tools or AI-based applications.
AI can help improve communication by giving patients and doctors clear information about treatment choices, risks, and benefits. For example, researchers at Cornell University created an AI tool called i-SDM. This tool helps older cancer patients understand treatment options by showing data like survival rates, possible side effects, and support resources tailored to each patient. The AI uses machine learning and language models to give easy-to-understand explanations. This helps patients take part in their care.
Yuexing Hao, the lead researcher on i-SDM, says AI can close communication gaps in busy clinics where doctors have little time to explain complex options. Shared decision-making means patients and doctors work together to choose treatments based on patient preferences and clinical facts. But this is hard to do well during short appointments. AI tools like i-SDM can educate patients before visits. This prepares patients with background knowledge and questions to ask their care teams.
Bob Riter, another researcher, said shared decision-making is important in cancers like early-stage prostate cancer. There are several good treatment options, including surgery, radiation, and active surveillance. Personal factors like treatment cost, travel time to clinics, and how treatment affects daily life matter a lot. The i-SDM tool helps show these factors alongside medical facts, so decisions better fit what the patient needs.
Even with promising uses, studies show older adults have mixed feelings about AI in healthcare. One study in Bangladesh interviewed patients aged 60 and older in geriatric wards. It found several ethical worries and trust concerns around AI.
The study showed older patients prefer talking to humans over AI for efficiency. They value empathy and personal communication with healthcare workers. They feel technology might not understand subtle health needs or provide emotional support needed in cancer care. Older adults worry about informed consent and want clear explanations about how AI influences treatment. Privacy and data security are also concerns. They fear their private health information might be mishandled or leaked.
The study suggests AI systems for older patients should support doctors rather than replace them. Systems that are clear, keep patients informed, and protect their independence are more likely to be accepted by this group.
Along with patient views, many Americans feel cautious about AI in healthcare. A large 2022 Pew Research Center survey of over 11,000 adults showed 60% would feel uncomfortable if their doctor used AI for diagnosis and treatment. Only 39% said they would be comfortable with this.
Most Americans (57%) think AI might harm the patient-doctor relationship. They worry AI could make care less personal and reduce trust. Only 13% think AI could improve relationships.
However, the survey also showed areas where AI is more accepted. About 65% of Americans were okay with AI being used for skin cancer screenings. Around 55% think AI could improve diagnosis accuracy for this. But 79% did not support AI chatbots for mental health help without a real therapist involved.
Opinions differ by groups. Men, younger adults, and people with more education were usually more open to AI in healthcare. Women and older adults were more doubtful. People who know more about AI tend to feel more comfortable with it, suggesting that better education might help increase acceptance.
Doctors treating older cancer patients face many challenges. It is hard to give the best care in short appointments. Older patients often care about different things than younger ones when making treatment choices.
For example, treatment decisions depend on practical matters like how far a patient must travel, costs, and side effects’ impact on daily life. These may be as important as medical outcomes.
But explaining all this in a short visit can be hard. Many older patients have other illnesses at the same time. This raises risks and changes treatment options. AI tools like i-SDM help by combining clinical data and patient needs. Doctors and patients can look at this information together.
Still, some patients and doctors are hesitant about AI. They worry about knowledge gaps, wrong information, and accuracy. More research with real patients and doctors is needed to better fit AI tools to real care.
Oncology care is busy. Making administrative work and patient communication easier is important. AI can automate front-office tasks, improve scheduling, and respond to patient requests fast without losing personal care.
Simbo AI is a company that offers phone automation and AI answering services. These can ease the workload in oncology clinics. Front desk staff get many calls about scheduling, prescriptions, billing, and treatment questions.
AI answering systems can handle routine calls, quickly send urgent issues where needed, and offer 24/7 help. This cuts wait times, lowers staff pressure, and helps patient satisfaction. The AI also records messages carefully, reducing mistakes that might affect treatments.
In clinics with many older patients, these phone AI services can use simple language and repeat or explain info when needed. They can also connect with electronic health records (EHR) and scheduling systems. This automatically updates patient details after each call.
AI workflow automation goes beyond phone answering. It can help doctors by showing summarized patient histories, treatment suggestions based on guidelines, and alerts about medicine interactions during visits. This helps oncologists manage hard cases better, improving care for older adults.
AI can also help watch if patients follow treatment plans and report symptoms from home. Automated calls or texts before and after treatments let care teams quickly step in when problems happen. This can lower unexpected hospital visits and improve overall care coordination.
Medical practice leaders and IT managers have important roles in choosing and using AI in oncology. They need to understand the special needs of older patients and their caregivers. They must also balance ethical concerns and build trust for AI to work well.
Since many older patients are doubtful, clear communication about how AI is used and privacy protection is key to gaining trust. Staff training to help patients less familiar with technology and keeping human support available will keep empathy strong in cancer care.
Adding AI front-office automation like Simbo AI’s phone system can free staff to focus more on patient care. This can make work more efficient without losing personal touch.
IT managers should make sure AI systems work well with EHRs and decision support tools. They should watch how AI works regularly and adjust it to better meet doctor and patient needs.
Finally, following rules like HIPAA is important to protect patient privacy and keep trust during AI use.
AI can help improve communication between cancer doctors and older patients in the U.S. It supports shared decision-making, gives clear info tailored to patients, and automates routine tasks. This can help patients be more involved and make clinics work better.
But people must build trust through clear communication, protect privacy, and keep human contact in care. Leaders of medical practices can think of AI as a helper that supports the important human parts of oncology care.
AI can enhance communication between older adult cancer patients and their doctors by presenting treatment options based on patients’ information and preferences, thereby promoting patient engagement and compliance.
The i-SDM tool is an AI-driven decision support system that identifies treatment options and provides AI-generated information on survival rates, side effects, and high-quality support resources tailored for older adult cancer patients.
The i-SDM tool facilitates shared decision-making by providing contextual information that helps patients understand their treatment options and communicate their preferences to clinicians.
Older adults often experience difficulty in understanding complex treatment options, time constraints during clinical visits, and concern about the risks and benefits of various treatments.
Older patients consider survival rates, risks, alternative options, treatment costs, and travel distances to treatment centers, which can significantly influence their decision-making.
The feasibility study highlighted the importance of patient preferences in decision-making and identified ten key factors that older patients consider important when selecting treatment options.
The researchers are working to integrate a health equity component into the tool to ensure it addresses the diverse needs of older adult populations, particularly those from varied backgrounds.
Older adults with cancer often face unique challenges, such as comorbidities and lower technology literacy, which can complicate their medical decision-making and necessitate tailored healthcare solutions.
The rejection of the AI tool by some patients and clinicians highlighted the knowledge barriers and misinformation risks associated with AI in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of qualitative research.
The research team plans to continue improving the i-SDM tool, focusing on enhancing usability, integrating health equity measures, and refining its application to support diverse populations.
Simbo is using AI agents to automate all phone related workflows. Connect now to know more.
Schedule AI Agents Demo Now© Since 2019, Simbo AI.
