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Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

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  1. put (someone) at ease
    • ex. The teacher’s smile put the new student at ease on his first day of school.
  2. automate
    • ex. The customer service team members saved time because they automated the email responses.
  3. vital signs
    • ex. The nurse checked the patient's vital signs, like body temperature and heart rate, to make sure she was healthy.
  4. contradict
    • ex. The teacher's explanation seemed to contradict the book. So, the students were confused about which information was correct.
  5. a false alarm
    • ex. My doctor thought my test results showed a problem, but it was a false alarm, and everything was actually fine.

Article

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Hospitals across the U.S. are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to help nurses do their jobs faster and reduce stress caused by too much work. One example is Ana, an AI program created by Hippocratic AI. Ana can put patients at ease with her warm, friendly voice and answer questions in different languages. Unlike human nurses, Ana can work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Ana is part of a growing trend to automate tasks usually done by nurses and medical assistants. Many hospitals now use AI to monitor vital signs, recognize emergencies, and guide care plans. While this technology aims to improve efficiency, it has its challenges. Nursing groups worry that AI may contradict human nurses’ knowledge and experience, which can affect the quality of care that patients receive.

In addition, some nurses report false alarms and dangerous advice from AI. Once, medical staff Adam Hart reported that the hospital’s computer made a mistake in saying that a patient needed a specific treatment. Nurses like Michelle Collins emphasize the importance of human judgment in healthcare. She says that while AI can help nurses, we should not let it replace real human care.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

AI in Healthcare

  • Ana, an AI program, can put patients at ease and answer questions in different languages. How important are these features in healthcare services? Discuss.
  • Imagine you’re a patient. Would you trust AI systems like Ana to take care of you? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Some nurses report false alarms and dangerous advice from AI. How do you think healthcare systems should address this issue (ex. make clear rules in the use of AI)? Discuss.

Nurses and Healthcare Workers

  • Did you ever dream of working in the healthcare industry? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your country, do you think AI programs are needed to help healthcare workers? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In the U.S., healthcare workers experience stress because of too much work. What is the situation of healthcare workers in your country? Discuss.