By Annika Howells
Publication Date: 2025-11-30 13:05:00
The consultation room has a new participant. It comes when patients access symptom analyzes generated by ChatGPT. It appears when we use GenAI to check drug interactions or write letters. And it always listens as ambient AI writers document our conversations. Whether recognized or not, GenAI is fundamentally changing what happens in the consulting room.
This article is from a new BMJ series examining how generative AI is transforming doctor-patient relationships. The series introduces the concept of “triadic care” and illustrates the reality that today’s medical encounters often involve not only the patient and primary care physician, but also AI systems.
The use of AI is increasing explosively on both sides
Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, patients’ use of GenAI chatbots for health information has increased exponentially. In Australia, around one in ten adults now seek health advice on ChatGPT. Patients use it to research symptoms, clarify medical jargon and create care plans when specialist assistance is required…