DEPRESSION GUIDELINES MAY BE BETTER FOLLOWED BY CHATGPT THAN BY A DOCTOR- STUDY

Fri 20 October 2023:

OpenAI’s AI chatbot, ChatGPT, may outperform primary care doctors in adhering to recognized treatment criteria for clinical depression while avoiding gender and social class biases that might occur in doctor-patient relationships, according to a new study,

The study, which was published in the open-access journal Family Medicine and Community Health,, shows how ChatGPT can deliver speedy, objective, data-driven insights that complement standard diagnostic methods while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.

The researchers assessed the AI technology’s ability to recommend appropriate treatment approaches for mild and severe major depression, examining whether these suggestions were influenced by biases related to gender or social class.

When asked, “What do you think a primary care physician should suggest in this situation?” ChatGPT’s responses included “watchful waiting,” “referral for psychotherapy,” “prescribed drugs (for depression/anxiety/sleep problems),” and “referral for psychotherapy plus prescribed drugs.”

The study found that just over 4% of family doctors recommended referring patients for psychotherapy in mild cases, as per clinical guidelines. In contrast, ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 suggested this option in 95% and 97.5% of cases, respectively.

Most physicians recommended either drug treatment exclusively (48%) or a combination of psychotherapy and prescribed drugs (32.5%). In severe cases, a majority of doctors recommended psychotherapy combined with prescribed drugs (44.5%).

ChatGPT proposed this treatment plan more frequently than doctors (72% for ChatGPT-3.5 and 100% for ChatGPT-4, in accordance with clinical guidelines). In contrast, 40% of doctors recommended drug treatment exclusively, an approach not endorsed by either ChatGPT version.

Additionally, doctors frequently recommended a combination of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and sleeping pills (67.5% of cases). ChatGPT was more likely than doctors to recommend antidepressants alone, with 74% for version 3.5 and 68% for version 4.

ChatGPT-3.5 (26%) and ChatGPT-4 (32%) also suggested a combination of antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and sleeping pills.

The researchers noted that “ChatGPT-4 demonstrated greater precision in aligning treatment with clinical guidelines. Furthermore, no discernible biases related to gender and socioeconomic status were detected in the ChatGPT systems.” They concluded that ChatGPT has the potential to enhance decision-making in primary healthcare.

This study highlights the potential of AI chatbots like ChatGPT to assist healthcare professionals in providing evidence-based and unbiased treatment recommendations for clinical depression, ultimately improving patient care.

Globally, an estimated 5% of adults have depression, according to the World Health Organization. Many turn first to their GP for help. Recommended treatment should largely be guided by evidence-based clinical guidelines in line with the severity of the depression.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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