MyChart AI Tool Drafts Doctor Messages Without Patient Disclosure
MyChart, a widely-used patient communication platform, has deployed an AI tool that drafts doctor responses to patient messages for about 15,000 medical professionals across 150 U.S. health systems, but most patients are not informed that AI wrote their responses. Experts express concern that doctors may not adequately review AI-generated messages for errors before sending them, particularly when the tool is used for clinically significant matters rather than administrative questions.
What happened
About 15,000 doctors and assistants at more than 150 U.S. health systems are using an AI feature in MyChart to draft replies to patient messages. The tool uses GPT-4 to generate responses based on patient questions, medical records, and medication lists, presented in the doctor's voice.
Officials at several health systems acknowledged they do not disclose to patients that the messages contain AI-generated content. Some doctors ask patients for permission and some health systems add a disclosure to each message, but this is not the default practice.
Reported impact
Experts worry that doctors may not be vigilant enough to catch potentially dangerous errors in medically significant messages drafted by AI. The concern is heightened because the tool has edged into clinical decision-making and doctor-patient relationships, beyond administrative tasks.
The trend troubles bioethics researchers who note that doctors are using the tool to save time talking to patients with generative AI, rather than spending more time on patient communication as intended.
Index analysis
Epic reported that doctors send less than one-third of AI-written messages with no editing, indicating some level of review. The company stated the tool is most appropriate for administrative questions such as appointment scheduling rather than clinical matters.
Governance controls
By default, MyChart does not indicate to patients that AI composed their response messages. Some healthcare systems have opted to add disclosure notices, and some doctors are seeking patient consent before using the feature, but these practices are not universal.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.