There's a lot of news about AI taking people's jobs. Some people believe AI will replace doctors. I've used AI tools, like ChatGPT, for work and health. I can confidently say that AI is not close to replacing doctors. I don't know about other jobs, but doctors are safe for now. While AI cannot replace doctors, I definitely think that AI can help doctors with their work. I have found AI very helpful for my health. Here are some ways I've used it effectively.
1. Information about medication
Whenever a doctor prescribes a new medication, I like to read about it to understand what it does, how to take it, and its side effects. So, I go to ChatGPT and type my question in normal English. For example, I might ask, "What are the possible side effects of Ivabrad 2.5 mg?" or "How do I take Sucral syrup prescribed by my doctor?" ChatGPT provides clear information and sometimes asks follow-up questions, which I can choose to ignore if I don't need more details.
2. Information about health conditions
I also use ChatGPT to learn more about any condition I might have been recently diagnosed with. It's best to make the question as specific as possible. For example, I can ask ChatGPT about dialysis-related amyloidosis and its possible causes, treatments, and what I can do myself without medication to ease the symptoms. ChatGPT provides all this information in a very easy-to-understand way.
3. Drug interactions
Another thing I use ChatGPT for is to check drug interactions. For example, I was once prescribed Sucral syrup and Pantocid DSR. My doctor said to take both before meals. So, for a long time, I took them right before eating. But when I researched on ChatGPT, I learned that taking them at the same time wasn't good because one counteracts the other. Instead, I should take them about half an hour to one hour before a meal. ChatGPT suggested that I take Pantocid an hour before my meal and Sucral half an hour before my meal.
4. Home remedies
Tools like ChatGPT can also advise on simple home treatments. For example, I was diagnosed with something called trigger thumb recently. While my doctor suggested physiotherapy and other treatments, I found ChatGPT very helpful. It told me some specific exercises I could do to help with the symptoms of this condition.
Tools like ChatGPT can definitely help patients with extra information, the kind that doctors might not have time to give. But it cannot replace your doctor. You should never take medications that ChatGPT suggests without talking to your doctor first. ChatGPT doesn't know your full medical history, but your doctor does. Your doctor understands you completely and knows all the specific issues you might have that ChatGPT won't be aware of. So, don't try to replace your doctor with ChatGPT. Instead, use ChatGPT as an extra tool, like a smart friend, to help you understand your condition better and give you more information about your medications, lab tests, and other health-related topics.
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