Can AI save radiologists from burnout?

AI should not be promoted as a simple solution to burnout for radiologists, according to a commentary published February 11 in European Radiology.

Citing a literature review that discusses how AI may influence drivers of physician burnout, Dr. Nedim Beste and Dr. Thomas Dratsch of the University of Cologne in Germany noted that the actual impact of AI on radiologists’ well-being remains unclear and that this uncertainty is the true “black box” of AI.

“Only two published studies directly assess the association between AI use and radiologist burnout. Both studies were conducted in China and used cross-sectional designs,” they wrote.

One study reported higher burnout among radiologists using AI, particularly when workload was high, and acceptance of AI was low, and the other study found that longer duration of AI use was associated with lower burnout.

Ultimately, these opposing findings highlight the uncertainty of the available evidence and suggest that strong claims about AI reducing burnout are not justified at present, the pair concluded.

The full commentary can be found here.