About AI from my point of view...
I have been under careful and diverse medical care for a year now due to my diagnosis of breast cancer. I have spent this time in Latvia, and thanks to my empathetic personality, I can say that I am aware of the doctors' workload and low salaries... I understand that there is simply not enough time for each patient.
This is where AI comes in. It is a wonderful tool for explaining the incomprehensible to a patient who has previously only suffered from common colds. To be honest, a lot of the information I received at the doctor's office was not properly absorbed due to my confusion, but thanks to this ingenious invention, many terms and the course of therapy were explained indirectly.
There is just one drawback. If I have not established contact with the treating physician, I do not trust the treatment method, no matter how modern and scientifically proven it may be.
It has been said about S. Freud as a physician that he knew how to listen to his patients in such a way that they felt full of energy.
I don't believe that AI will ever be able to listen to me like that. Yes, it can explain, translate, find missing information, but the "romantic" part is missing - and this is where the "doctor-patient" relationship is very important. Mutual conversation, understanding. For a patient to follow strict instructions and understand the challenges to their physical and mental health, trust is necessary.
I have now moved to Norway with my family. I am continuing my therapy there, and as far as I understand, it will be a long process. We resolve many paperwork, language barrier, and technical issues through ChatGPT.
There are also conversations with the doctor and nurse—of course, these are additional costs, but as a patient, I am given the opportunity to be human.
Transcript from the Journal of the Latvian Medical and Dental Association Nr.174/2025