### The Impact of AI Chatbots on Patient Care and Doctor Workload The integration of AI chatbots into healthcare, especially in direct communication with doctors, has the potential to significantly impact both patient care and doctor workload. On one hand, AI chatbots can help manage the increasing volume of electronic patient messages, which has surged due to the rise of telehealth and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These chatbots can provide timely and detailed responses to patient inquiries, potentially improving the quality and empathy of the communication compared to traditional methods. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that AI-generated responses were often preferred over those from doctors, citing better quantity, quality, and empathy. This suggests that AI chatbots could alleviate some of the burdens on doctors, allowing them to focus more on direct patient care rather than administrative tasks. However, the integration of AI in healthcare is not without challenges. There are concerns about the nuances of patient-doctor interactions that AI may not fully capture. Additionally, biases in existing data can be perpetuated by AI, leading to potential inequities in patient care. Experts suggest that AI should be used as an adjunct to human care, ensuring that it complements rather than replaces the essential human component of medicine. Overall, while AI chatbots offer promising solutions to improve efficiency and patient satisfaction, careful consideration and further testing are needed to ensure they are implemented in a way that enhances, rather than detracts from, the quality of healthcare.