Page 8 - May 2024 SAM PDF

PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE

Navigating the Intersection of AI

and Healthcare in Bexar County

By Ezequiel "Zeke" Silva III, President, Bexar County Medical Society (BCMS)

Earlier this year, the BCMS 1853 Club welcomed Dr. Brent pation in influential groups such
Fessler, Ed.D., MSL, to discuss the topic of "AI for the Everyday Guy as the AMA Digital Medicine
(How to use AI at home/personal life)." The 1853 Club, a group of Payment Advisory Group and
retired Bexar County physicians, meets regularly to explore various the TMA Health Information
subjects. The keen interest in AI among our retired colleagues is a Technology Committee reflects
testament to its significance, not just for them but also for our active our dedication to advocating for policies that prioritize patient care
physicians and medical students. Understanding AI's impact on our while addressing physician concerns. Our engagement with legislative
practices and how we can navigate its challenges and opportunities is and regulatory bodies such as the Texas Artificial Intelligence Advisory
crucial for all of us. Council highlights our commitment to influencing the trajectory of
AI in healthcare.
BCMS' Role We highly value the perspectives of our members and are keen to
BCMS has been a leader in addressing the intersection of AI and understand how AI is reshaping your practice. BCMS is dedicated to
healthcare. At TexMed 2021, our BCMS delegation introduced a grasping the challenges and opportunities AI presents in clinical care,
significant AI-related resolution, urging the TMA to examine the ensuring our community remains at the forefront of this technological
impact of augmented intelligence on healthcare in Texas (Resolution evolution.
421, Augmented Intelligence (AI) in Health Care).1 This initiative We invite all members to share their experiences and insights
aimed to offer guidance for physicians on adapting to the challenges regarding AI in their practice. Your contributions are vital to our ongo-
and opportunities presented by AI. The outcome of this effort was ing dialogue and efforts to shape a future where AI and healthcare
TMA's inaugural policy on AI (Policy 280.038, Augmented Intelli- converge in the most beneficial and responsible manner.
gence in Health Care),2 addressing critical issues like nomenclature,
disclosure, transparency and safeguards. BCMS' involvement in shap- References:
ing the AMA's 2019 AI policy further underscores our commitment to 1. Resolution 421, Augmented Intelligence (AI) in Health Care:
proactive engagement with AI's evolution in healthcare (AMA BOT https://www.texmed.org/uploadedFiles/Current/2016_About_
Report 21 Augmented Intelligence in Health Care H-480.939).3 More TMA/TMA_Leadership/House_of_Delegates/2021_Reports_
recently, the AMA provided the following update, AMA Principles for and_Resolutions/Res%20421%202021%20Augmented%20
Augmented Intelligence Development, Deployment and Use.4 Intelligence%20in%20Health%20Care.et(1).pdf
2. Policy 280.038, Augmented Intelligence in Health Care: https://
The Rapid Pace of Change www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=59861&terms=joint%20
The digital health landscape, inclusive of AI, has seen remarkable report%208
growth, a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDA's 3. AMA BOT Report 21 Augmented Intelligence in Health Care
approval of AI-driven medical devices, also referred to as Software in H-480.939: https://policysearch.ama-assn.org/policyfinder/
a Medical Device (SaMD) in early 2018, such as IDX-DR for diabetic detail/Augmented%20Intelligence%20in%20Health%20
retinopathy screening, marks a pivotal advancement. With over 700 Care%20H-480.939%20?uri=%2FAMADoc%2FHOD.xml-H-
AI SaMD products having received FDA approval, the healthcare 480.939.xml
sector is witnessing a transformative phase, particularly in fields like 4. AMA Principles for Augmented Intelligence Development,
radiology (79 percent of FDA-approved devices) and cardiology (9 Deployment and Use: https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/
percent of approved devices).5 ama-ai-principles.pdf. Accessed on 3/30/24
5. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)-En-
The Evolution of AI abled Medical Devices: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/
AI's progression is rapid, transitioning from basic functions like detec- software-medical-device-samd/artificial-intelligence-and-ma-
tion and inference to more sophisticated capabilities. The emergence of chine-learning-aiml-enabled-medical-devices. Accessed on
generative AI and large language models like OpenAI and ChatGPT sig- 3/30/24
nifies a shift towards machines not just retrieving but generating informa-
tion. This evolution has profound implications for the medical field and
necessitates a thoughtful approach to regulatory frameworks. Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva III, MD, is the 2024 President of the Bexar County
Medical Society. Dr. Silva is a radiologist with the South Texas Radiology
BCMS, AI and the Future Group, Adjunct Professor of Radiology at the UT Health, Long School
BCMS is steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the responsible of Medicine, and Vice-Chief of Staff at Methodist Hospital Texsan. He
and ethical integration of AI into clinical practice. Our active partici- serves on the TMA Council on Legislation and is a TMA Delegate to the
AMA. He chairs the AMA RVS Update Committee (RUC).

8 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • May 2024 Visit us at www.bcms.org 9