04/16/2026
AI & Medical Results
The 21st Century Cures Act mandates patient access to all health information in their electronic records "without delay". This often means patients see test results, including laboratory and imaging reports, at the same time or often before their physician has reviewed them.
Transparency is vital in your care. It builds trust and allows you to be an informed and active leader in your care team.
I fully support our transparency practices, but it may create a challenging dynamic in the setting of cancer related results. Reports can be confusing, loaded with both detail and nuance.
Several of my patients received their pathology reports this week, ahead of my call to them. Each quickly copy and pasted the results into AI search/ChatGPT. While some of the information they found was accurate, some was wildly misleading and led to undue anxiety and stress.
AI can be very helpful- giving us guidance and tips in our everyday life. My advice when it comes to cancer work up and results: Take a breath. Speak with your surgeon. Bring your questions. Raise the concerns you may have found/heard. This is the best way for you to be empowered. You’ll be given the right answers and options that lead to an ideal treatment pathway. One step at a time.
