Patients have been urged to exercise caution when relying on artificial intelligence for medical diagnoses, following a warning from the head of Cyprus’s leading patients’ organisation.
Miltos Miltiadous, President of the Federation of Patients’ Associations (OSAK), said that while no formal complaints had been lodged with the organisation regarding patients’ use of artificial intelligence, he acknowledged that many increasingly turned to such tools, or to the internet more broadly, in search of answers about their health concerns.
CyBC reported that Miltiadous emphasised that a patient’s family doctor remained by far the most reliable source of guidance when assessing symptoms, rather than any digital alternative.
His comments were echoed by Petros Agathangelou, President of the Cyprus Medical Association, who said the growing use of artificial intelligence had likewise become a matter of concern within the medical profession itself.
Dr Agathangelou explained that discussion within the profession centred on two related questions: how artificial intelligence might properly be integrated into clinical practice as a supporting tool, and the corresponding need to ensure healthcare professionals receive adequate training in its use.
