Priya PatelThe article discusses how Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is using artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate health information sharing with teenagers and their families. The challenge arises from certain state laws that allow minors to consent to specific types of sensitive care and keep this information confidential from their guardians. Stanford developed AI technology to set up a dual monitoring system that respects the privacy and autonomy of teenage patients while also involving their guardians in their healthcare. One AI system monitors the provider notes for inappropriate sensitive content, and another monitors messages within teen patient portal accounts. This technology has helped improve patient outcomes, build trust, and set a new standard in patient-centered care for teens.
The article highlights the significance of investing in technical work to create a nuanced approach to health information sharing for teens. This approach ensures that both teens and their guardians have appropriate access to the information they need, which is crucial for providing optimal care. By giving teens control over their sensitive health information, healthcare providers can facilitate the transition to adulthood and foster a sense of responsibility and autonomy. Furthermore, the use of AI and language models can help navigate the complexities of health information sharing and streamline provider note writing, messaging, and manual monitoring programs.
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health created natural language processing algorithms to monitor provider notes and patient portal messages. These algorithms were designed to identify and flag any inappropriate content that breaches the teenager’s privacy and autonomy. The use of AI technology has significantly decreased documentation burden, improved provider communication, and ensured that guardians are involved in their child’s healthcare to an appropriate extent. The success of this technology has led to the development of a custom guardrail intervention that has been incorporated into Epic’s foundation system, extending the impact of Stanford’s work to teens worldwide.
The article suggests that implementing technology solutions such as AI and natural language processing requires a deep understanding of both the clinical and technical aspects of healthcare. It emphasizes the importance of assembling a team with diverse but complementary skills, including clinical informaticists, data scientists, and legal and privacy experts. Stanford’s success in using AI technology to revolutionize pediatric healthcare is attributed to its interdisciplinary education programs and the blend of clinical and technical expertise within its team. Overall, the article highlights how AI can be leveraged to support and empower teens and their families while respecting their rights to privacy and autonomy.
