NAF calls for increased awareness and advocacy around use of AI to prevent potential abuses

SANTA ANA, Calif., Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Neuropathy Action Foundation (NAF), a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring neuropathy patients have access to the treatments necessary to improve their quality of life, today announced the release of a new white paper, “The Promise and Potential Hazards of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Neuropathy.” The white paper explores the ways in which AI can positively impact the lives of those living with neuropathy and their families and warns of potential pitfalls if AI in healthcare is not properly regulated.

“Researchers and clinicians are already using artificial intelligence to revolutionize research and interventions for patients living with neuropathy, including to diagnose neuropathy earlier, predict disease progression, and to create personalized treatment regimens,” said Dominick Spatafora, NAF board president.

In its white paper, the NAF lays out six broad categories of AI applications in neuropathy, including: 

1. Early Detection and Diagnosis of Neuropathy
2. Predicting the Progression of Neuropathy
3. Managing and Monitoring Symptoms
4. Personalized Treatment Plans
5. Clinical Trials and Drug Discovery
6. Education and Training for Health Care Providers

“Despite its great promise, AI is not without potential pitfalls and risks for patients, including the potential for bias in AI modeling and the use of AI by health insurers to inform coverage determinations and possibly to deny claims. While these hazards could affect all patients, those patients living with neuropathy are more likely to confront diagnostic uncertainty, encounter limited or inadequate treatment options and grapple with barriers to access to care, such as step therapy requirements and claims denials,” added Spatafora. “Ongoing awareness and advocacy by patients, families, providers, and policymakers will be necessary to balance the hopes and hazards of AI in the research, diagnosis, treatment, and management of neuropathy.”

AI is a machine-based system that uses input it receives to generate outputs, such as inferences, predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing physical or virtual environments. Essentially, AI tries to mimic how humans think and act but does it faster and in a more in-depth way than humans. Some of the most promising uses of AI generally are the automation of repetitive tasks and faster, deeper analysis of expansive amounts of data. In the field of health care, AI is frequently implemented by a health care professional to support scientific or clinical decision-making. For patients with neuropathy, AI is increasingly being used in diagnosis, treatment, and management of the condition, as well as in research. Neuropathy, particularly peripheral neuropathy, involves damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord and can result from various causes, including autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy, diabetes, genetic disorders, and infections.

To access the full white paper, please visit www.neuropathyaction.org or click on AI for Neuropathy and Rare Diseases.pdf.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact Dominick Spatafora at info@neuropathyaction.org.  

About Neuropathy Action Foundation

The Neuropathy Action Foundation (NAF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is dedicated to ensuring neuropathy patients obtain the necessary resources to access individualized treatment to improve their quality of life. The NAF increases awareness among physicians, the general public and public policy officials that neuropathy can potentially be a serious, widespread and disabling condition, which may be treatable when appropriate medical care is provided.

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SOURCE Neuropathy Action Foundation