The Role Of Artificial Intelligence (ai) In Preventing Misdiagnoses: A Pharmacist's Perspective

• By: ONWUEKWE, Ezinne V.C (Nova Scotia Health Authority, Canada)
• Co-author(s): Ms Ezinne V.C Onwuekwe (Nova Scotia Health, Halifax, Canada)
  
• Abstract:

  Title: The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Preventing Misdiagnoses: A Pharmacist's Perspective
  Ezinne V. C. Onwuekwe¹
  ¹ Nova Scotia Health, Canada
  
  Introduction: Misdiagnoses significantly impact patient safety. The increasing complexity of medication regimens and the rise of chronic diseases highlight the critical need for innovative solutions to ensure medication safety. Pharmacists play a vital role in medication safety, but limited access to patient data and fragmented information exchange create challenges in identifying misdiagnoses. Advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) hold promise for mitigating such errors. However, existing research on AI and misdiagnosis prevention often focuses on the development and evaluation of AI tools for general medical diagnosis. There remains a gap in understanding the pharmacist's perspective on the integration of AI into clinical decision-making processes.
  
  This study aims to explore the potential of AI in preventing misdiagnoses from a pharmacist's viewpoint. It does this by filling the gap in knowledge regarding the practical implementation and impact of AI in pharmacy practice. By focusing on the pharmacist's perspective, this work contributes to the development and implementation of AI tools that are tailored to the specific needs of pharmacy practice.
  
  Methods: This research will employ a multifaceted approach.
  1.Literature review: Exploring existing research on misdiagnoses, pharmacist challenges, AI-powered tools for medication safety, and AI integration in healthcare. Scientific databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL were used to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies and articles.
  
  2.Expert Interviews: Semi-structured interviews with practicing pharmacists to gather real world insights on their experiences, perceptions of AI, and potential concerns with AI integration. Pharmacists from diverse practice settings (e.g., hospitals, community pharmacies) were recruited to ensure a broader perspective. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key themes and patterns.
  
  Results: The literature review revealed the prevalence and impact of misdiagnoses, as well as challenges faced by pharmacists. Existing research on AI tools and their potential benefits in healthcare workflows were identified. Pharmacists highlighted the utility of AI in enhancing diagnostic accuracy, streamlining workflow, and improving patient outcomes. Key findings include the importance of AI-human collaboration, the need for user-friendly AI interfaces tailored to pharmacy settings, and the significance of ongoing training and support for pharmacists utilizing AI tools.
  
  Conclusion: The findings underscore the potential of AI to revolutionize diagnostic processes in pharmacy practice. It offers valuable insights into the pharmacist's role in leveraging AI technologies to prevent misdiagnoses. The proposed approach fosters a collaborative pharmacist-AI partnership, maximizing pharmacist expertise while leveraging AI's data analysis capabilities. Future research should focus on further refining AI algorithms, addressing ethical and legal considerations, and fostering collaborative efforts to optimize AI integration in pharmacy settings. This work contributes to a broader strategy for advancing patient safety and healthcare quality through the strategic implementation of AI in pharmacy practice. It contributes significantly to the field of AI in pharmacy by bridging the gap between existing research and the practical needs of pharmacists.