Nearly seven decades ago, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov imagined the future integration of technology into healthcare with his 1957 novel The Naked Sun: from automated medical monitoring to robotic caregivers. Today, we have leapt beyond the realm of sci-fi to witness the present capabilities of artificial intelligence.
In September, Stanford Medicine announced the development of Nuclei.io, an AI tool to help pathologists analyze tissue slides more quickly and accurately. AstraZeneca recently signed a $555 million agreement with Algen Biotechnologies to use AI to accelerate immunology drug discovery. And earlier this year, Microsoft rolled out an ambient listening/voice dictation AI assistant, Dragon Copilot, to trim manual note-writing and administrative load for physicians.
When healthcare stories feature AI, however, the focus seems to be primarily on diagnostics, drug discovery or efficiency in paperwork. What we don’t tend to read about is how artificial intelligence is also beginning to help teach essential “soft skills” that play a surprisingly potent role in the patient experience.
Soft skills: Critical yet elusive
While medical schools and on-the-job programs traditionally hone clinical and technical skills, one of the biggest gaps in healthcare training has long been developing soft skills such as empathy, listening, adaptability and communication. Does the doctor genuinely understand what I’m experiencing? Do the nurses respond to my needs? Are technicians so focused on the mechanics of their jobs that they don’t adjust their approach if I’m uncomfortable? Soft skills are often the difference between perfunctory and effective care.
Interpersonal skills may be an implicit lynchpin in patient care, but from the era of Hippocrates to until recently, they have been nearly impossible to measure and thus difficult to teach. The truth is that these qualities can be as, or more, important to patient satisfaction, safety and long-term outcomes.
That’s where AI is starting to transform the system.
The AI breakthrough
Through conversational and generative AI, new medical students and experienced professionals can improve these vital skills. And in healthcare, where close to 60% of patients say they would consider switching doctors over poor communication, that’s a big deal.
As a trend in healthcare, AI training for soft skills provides a much-needed solution. Creating a matrix of lifelike, interactive patient scenarios, the technology evaluates how users interact with simulated patients, assessing qualities like communication clarity, tone and empathy. Immersive situations test how caregivers respond in a range of situations, those calm as well as stressful. Virtual patients respond naturally, remember past exchanges and adjust their answers in real time, making every interaction unique and mirroring the unpredictability of real patient care.
Helping strengthen core competencies, a new generation of AI training programs offers online learners actionable guidance in real time. Instead of a simple grade, students receive narrative feedback that pinpoints what they did well and where they can improve. This builds skills as it strengthens confidence.
Virtual patients train real practitioners
This technology is already being used to train future medical technicians, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and other frontline workers.
In some modern mental health training programs, students now can “meet” patients with detailed personal backstories – learning where they live, if they have children, their family circumstances and living conditions. Learners take medical histories, practice assessing symptoms and provide care, all while navigating sensitive topics such as memory loss, depression or suicidal thoughts.
The benefits of this approach are twofold: Students get unlimited chances to practice, without the limitations of fixed role-play or rehearsed scripts, and they develop both the technical and soft skills necessary for handling complex cases in a safe learning environment.
AI helps make humans more human
For healthcare facilities, AI-driven soft skill training is gaining traction in light of critical staffing shortages and the need for more emotionally intelligent personnel. Through partnerships with eLearning providers, a breadth of hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices are reaping real results. Instructors and students use feedback loops to track growth over time. Learners graduate with measurable competencies in communication and empathy. AI models themselves continue to become more adept at providing even more natural interactions and nuanced feedback.
Notwithstanding the ambitious visions of science fiction, it’s unlikely that robotic machines or full-fledged androids will ever replace human beings, whether in doctors’ offices or hospital rooms. But the humanity of those human practitioners can’t be taken for granted. The era of AI is creating a viable pathway for healthcare professionals of all stripes to learn better ways to connect with patients and help improve outcomes.
Photo: FS Productions, Getty Images
Jennifer Kolb is the Vice President of Partnerships and Workforce Development at MedCerts, a national online training provider focused on certifications in the high-demand areas of healthcare and IT. Established in 2009, MedCerts now partners with more than 70 academic institutions and 1,000 healthcare organizations nationwide to provide innovative eLearning solutions that help students evolve into new job opportunities and help employers find qualified candidates.
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