Evaluation of a Medical Interview-Assistance System Using Artificial Intelligence for Resident Physicians Interviewing Simulated Patients: A Crossover, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Abstract

Medical interviews are expected to undergo a major transformation through the use of artificial intelligence. However, artificial intelligence-based systems that support medical interviews are not yet widespread in Japan, and their usefulness is unclear. A randomized, controlled trial to determine the usefulness of a commercial medical interview support system using a question flow chart-type application based on a Bayesian model was conducted. Ten resident physicians were allocated to two groups with or without information from an artificial intelligence-based support system. The rate of correct diagnoses, amount of time to complete the interviews, and number of questions they asked were compared between the two groups. Two trials were conducted on different dates, with a total of 20 resident physicians participating. Data for 192 differential diagnoses were obtained. There was a significant difference in the rate of correct diagnosis between the two groups for two cases and for overall cases (0.561 vs. 0.393; p = 0.02). There was a significant difference in the time required between the two groups for overall cases (370 s (352–387) vs. 390 s (373–406), p = 0.04). Artificial intelligence-assisted medical interviews helped resident physicians make more accurate diagnoses and reduced consultation time. The widespread use of artificial intelligence systems in clinical settings could contribute to improving the quality of medical care.