Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence-enabled decision aids in improving patient inclusivity, empowerment, and education in urology: a systematic review by EAU endourology.

Purpose of review: The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in urology has the potential to enhance patient outcomes through the provision of intelligent tools, such as AI-enabled decision aids (AIDAs), which can support personalized care. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the role of AIDAs in educating and empowering patients, particularly those from underrepresented populations.

Recent findings: We conducted a comprehensive systematic review following PRISMA guidelines to explore the potential for AIDAs to address healthcare inequalities and promote patient education and empowerment. From 1078 abstracts screened, 21 articles were suitable for inclusion, all of which utilized chatbots. Three main themes of studies were identified. Fourteen studies focused on enhancing patient education, four studies investigated whether chatbots can improve the accessibility of urological literature and three studies explored chatbots role in providing lifestyle guidance. While chatbots demonstrated great potential as educational and lifestyle support tools, current research found mixed accuracy and a tendency for them to produce unreliable information. In terms of accessibility, chatbots were able to effectively enhance readability and translate literature, potentially bridging language, and literacy barriers.

Summary: Through chatbots, AIDAs show strong potential to enhance urological education and empower underrepresented communities. However, chatbots must show greater consistency in accuracy before they can be confidently relied upon in clinical contexts. Further research evaluating chatbots' efficacy in clinical settings, especially with underrepresented groups, would enable greater understanding of their role in improving patient inclusivity, empowerment, and education.