Groningen’s UMCG hospital the first in Europe to use an AI chatbot

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist healthcare workers in answering written questions from patients. The hospital is the first hospital in Europe to use a chatbot for written patient communication, UMCG reported on Monday.

The trial, launched in recent months, uses an AI application developed by electronic health record (EHR) supplier Epic. This application reads the patient's question and suggests an answer, which the healthcare professional then reviews and adjusts as needed.

The system is not self-learning and does not use patient data. Integrated into the EHR, it ensures patient data security and restricts supplier access.

“It is wonderful to see what artificial intelligence is capable of. But healthcare remains human work: there is always a doctor or nurse who checks the answer before we send it,” said Tom van der Laan, ENT doctor and Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at the UMCG. “Artificial intelligence can support and make work easier, but healthcare professionals are irreplaceable in healthcare for the time being,” he added.

With over 1,200 written questions from patients each week on topics such as medication, pain management, and post-operative activities, Van der Laan noted that reducing time spent on administrative tasks with this AI application can allow more patient care time.

This AI application, already in use in various hospitals in the United States, has received positive feedback. “The experiences there are very positive. Artificial intelligence not only appears to provide more informative and comprehensive answers, but AI also does so more empathetically,” Van der Laan said.

In the upcoming weeks and months, more Dutch hospitals with an EHR from Epic are expected to adopt this technology, according to the UMCG.