Value of using artificial intelligence derived clusters by health and social care need in Primary Care: A qualitative interview study

  1. Sian Holt
  2. Glenn Simpson
  3. Miriam Santer
  4. Hazel Everitt
  5. Andrew Farmer
  6. Kuangji Zhou
  7. Zhiling Qian
  8. Firoza Davies
  9. Hajira Dambha-Miller
  10. Leanne Morrison
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Abstract

Purpose

People living with MLTCs attending consultations in primary care frequently have unmet social care needs (SCNs), which can be challenging to identify and address. Artificial intelligence (AI) derived clusters could help to identify patients at risk of SCNs. Understanding the views of people living with MLTCs and those involved in their care can help inform the design of effective interventions informed by AI-derived clusters to address SCNs.

Methods

Qualitative study using semi-structured online and telephone interviews with 24 people living with MLTCs and 20 people involved in the care of MLTCs. Interviews were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Results

Primary care was viewed as an appropriate place to have conversations about SCNs. However, participants felt health care professionals lack capacity to have these conversations and to identify sources of support. AI was perceived as a tool that could potentially increase capacity for this but only when supplemented with effective, clinical conversations. Interventions harnessing AI should be brief, be easy to use and remain relevant over time, to ensure no additional burden on clinical capacity. Interventions must allow flexibility to be used by multidisciplinary teams within primary care, frame messages positively and facilitate conversations that remain patient centered.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that AI-derived clusters to identify and support SCNs in primary care have perceived value, but there were some concerns including the need to consider personal context. AI derived clusters can be used as a tool to inform and prioritise effective clinical conversations.

Conference names, dates and locations for any prior presentations

  • British Journal of General Practice Research Conference, March 2024, London.

  • School of Academic Primary Care Southwest Conference, March 2024. Cardiff.

  • Faculty of Medicine Research Conference, June 2024. Southampton.

Article activity feed

  1. Version published to 10.1101/2024.10.17.24315657v1 on medRxiv