OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Health — a separate space within the platform designed for questions about well-being, tests, and lifestyle. Millions of people ask ChatGPT daily about symptoms and medications, and this interest has driven the creation of a specialized format.
ChatGPT Health: A New Tool for Patients
The service does not replace a visit to the doctor. Its purpose is to help the user prepare for the appointment: to structure symptoms, understand test results, formulate questions for the doctor, and track the dynamics of indicators. Experts note that this approach makes visits more productive and increases patient engagement.
Benefits and Limitations of AI in Medicine
Advantages of using ChatGPT Health:
- Doctor visits become more productive;
- Less time is spent explaining basic things;
- More attention is paid to the real needs of the patient;
- Shared decision-making is simplified.
Disadvantages:
- Risk of over-reliance on AI;
- Patients may perceive ChatGPT's responses as a "second opinion from a doctor" — this is erroneous;
- The algorithm does not take the full context into account, does not see emotions and nuances.
Rules for Safe Use
ChatGPT helps:
- Explain medical terms;
- Formulate questions for the doctor;
- Draw attention to important details in tests.
However, the service should not:
- Make diagnoses;
- Predict the course of a disease;
- Prescribe treatment.
Any advice that affects medical decisions must be verified by a qualified physician. AI can make mistakes and do so confidently, and the data entered by the user is not protected by medical confidentiality laws.
Myths and Misconceptions
Users often perceive ChatGPT as a "second opinion from a doctor." It is important to remember that language models generate plausible text, but not verified medical information. They do not weigh evidence and are not accountable for errors.
The Future of AI in Medicine
Experts predict that in the next five years, AI will become the background of medicine, rather than its core. Doctors will use it for data analysis and documentation, while patients will use it as a personal health assistant. Key qualities such as trust, empathy, and clinical thinking will remain with humans.
Areas of Increased Risk
Particular caution is required when discussing:
- Mental health;
- Reproductive issues;
- Substance use;
- HIV status and genetic data;
- Legally sensitive topics.
In these cases, AI errors can have not only medical but also legal consequences.
ChatGPT Health helps individuals become more informed and attentive to their health, but it does not replace clinical experience and is not responsible for treatment.
