Abstract
The objective of this paper is to discuss perceived clinical utility and impact on physician-patient relationship of a novel, artificial-intelligence (AI) enabled clinical decision support system (CDSS) for use in the treatment of adults with major depression. Patients had a baseline appointment, followed by a minimum of two appointments with the CDSS. For both physicians and patients, study exit questionnaires and interviews were conducted to assess perceived clinical utility, impact on patient-physician relationship, and understanding and trust in the CDSS. 17 patients consented to participate in the study, of which 14 completed. 86% of physicians (6/7) felt the information provided by the CDSS provided a more comprehensive understanding of patient situations and 71% (5/7) felt the information was helpful. 86% of physicians (6/7) reported the AI/predictive model was useful when making treatment decisions. 62% of patients (8/13) reported improvement in their care as a result of the tool. 46% of patients (6/13) felt the app significantly or somewhat improved their relationship with their physicians; 54% felt it did not change. 71% of physicians (5/7) and 62% of patients (8/13) rated they trusted the tool. Qualitative results are analyzed and presented. Findings suggest physicians perceived the tool as useful in conducting appointments and used it while making treatment decisions. Physicians and patients generally found the tool trustworthy, and it may have positive effects on physician-patient relationships.
Competing Interest Statement
D.B., C.A., R.F., S.I., and K.P. are shareholders and either employees, directors, or founders of Aifred Health. J.M. is employed by Aifred Health. M.T.S. is employed by Aifred Health and is an options holder. S.Q., G.G., D.S., M.S., K.W., T.P., E.S., E.L., MJ. F., J.B., B.D., and C.P., have been or are employed or financially compensated by Aifred Health. S.P., K.H., J.K. are members of Aifred Health's scientific advisory board and have received payments or options. W.S. is a member of the data safety monitoring board. H.M. has received honoraria, sponsorship or grants for participation in speaker bureaus, consultation, advisory board meetings and clinical research from Acadia, Amgen, HLS Therapeutics, Janssen-Ortho, Mylan, Otsuka-Lundbeck, Perdue, Pfizer, Shire and SyneuRx International. S.R reports owning shares in Aifred Health. All other authors report no relevant conflicts.
Clinical Trial
NCT04061642
Funding Statement
Funding was obtained between initial IRB approval (July 29th, 2019) and the start of the study but was disclosed to REB as amendments were approved prior to study start. Funding sources: Aifred Health Inc.; Innovation Research Assistance Program, National Research Council Canada; ERA-Permed Vision 2020 grant supporting IMADAPT; Government of Quebec Nova Science; MEDTEQ COVID-Relief Grant.
Author Declarations
I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.
Yes
The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:
This research was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal West Island Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre.
I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.
Yes
I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).
Yes
I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable.
Yes
Data Availability
All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors