Artificial Intelligence is an Undeniable Reality

Abstract

Bioethics committees strive for consistency of clinical ethics investigations. This objective benefits form established standard processes and comprehensive digitized documentation of consults. To support bioethics committee work, AQUAS, Inc. developed a consult management tool (see BioEthx.org) that uses workflow touchpoints, reminders, collaboration tools to invite expert opinions in the analysis. Adopting a well-defined codification scheme can provide a shorthand way to describe a consult, its focus, patient profile, and healthcare setting. The BioEthx tool uses the consult coding scheme created by Kelly Armstrong currently at INOVA, with her permission. Her coding scheme is comprehensive, and the tool is set-up to adopt alternative schemes. Codified consults are aggregated and analyzed along with outcomes. Bioethx is a cloud-based software application that was created to receive consult information, analyze, conclude, and conduct follow up reviews that is used from the inception of a consult to the very end of documenting outcomes.

Bioethics committees in Latin America and in the United States have used this and similar tools
recognizing its relevance in ensuring the protection and wellbeing of patients. The information collected using the tool can be aggregated and reported to learn how to better manage future consults. The tool is effective in collecting consult information, screens that gather information during the different phases of a consult, from entering the original request, approach, communications, and final disposition. The resulting information can be used to conduct peer reviews and can be used as a training tool and identification of lessons learned.

The use of this tool facilitates bioethics committee oversight activities in clinical situations; use of the tool reduces human errors and enables improved communication among committee members, and between patient representatives and healthcare providers. The tool facilitates digital access to legal document (informed consent, legal representation, advanced directives, for example). Capturing and codifying consult information in a digital repository and creating a shared repository of aggregated, sanitized information is one of the sources that, together with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, provides the bioethicist an evolving knowledge base of best practices. The future will include Artificial Intelligence, not to replace the bioethicist, but rather to help research and formulate better human decision making in patient care.

Evangelina Mollar
Bioethics Committee Member in Argentina
Lawyer, Master in Medical Ethics.
Bioethics Consultant
Regional Representative in BioEthx Group, AQUAS, Inc. (bioethx.org)