Symptoms on Screen, Certainty in the Doctor's Hands

Amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, self-diagnosis has become an increasingly familiar phenomenon in society. Simply by typing symptoms into an AI-based application or search engine, a person can obtain various possible medical conditions in a matter of seconds. Easy access, no cost, and round-the-clock availability make this practice increasingly popular as a first step in seeking health information. For some people, AI has become the first place to look for answers when health complaints arise. In fact, not a few use it as a discussion partner when anxiety about their body’s condition begins to surface. This phenomenon is reflected in research presented by Doctor Ray Wagiu Basrowi. The use of AI-based self-diagnosis is dominated by people with income levels close to the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR), at around 61 per cent. Meanwhile, about 17 per cent of users come from groups with incomes above Rp10 million per month. Its users also come from various age groups, both young and old. Some respondents admitted to using AI to get an initial picture of the condition they were experiencing before deciding to seek treatment. However, there are also those who use AI as a means of discussing their perceived health complaints. AI’s ability to provide answers is based on algorithms that process millions of data points, scientific articles, health references, and user query patterns. From this data, AI generates a response deemed most appropriate to the information provided. However, AI can only read patterns based on the data entered and cannot see the patient’s condition directly. AI is unable to observe facial expressions, skin colour, gait, body language, psychological condition, or perform a physical examination, which are often important clues in establishing a diagnosis. Therefore, the answers generated by AI are informative and cannot be equated with medical decisions obtained through clinical examination. Behind its convenience, AI-based self-diagnosis has limitations that cannot replace the actual medical process. Doctors assess that this phenomenon is unavoidable, but its use must remain within clear boundaries. Seeking drug recommendations through AI without a direct examination has the potential to cause treatment errors or long-term side effects, because no party is clinically responsible for that decision. In medical practice, a diagnosis is established through comprehensive stages, starting from a medical interview, observation of the patient’s condition, physical examination, tracing of disease history, to supporting examinations such as laboratory tests if needed. As expressed by a doctor, medicine is an art based on science. Every patient has a different condition and requires a different approach. This reality is illustrated at the Cilincing Community Health Centre in North Jakarta. Every day, around 700 patients come to receive health services through BPJS Kesehatan. The long queues that continue to form are proof that amidst the rapid development of technology, the public still entrusts diagnosis and treatment to medical personnel. AI may be the first step to seek information, but certainty is still sought through direct examination by doctors and health workers. Technology will continue to develop, and artificial intelligence algorithms will become increasingly sophisticated in processing data and presenting various possible answers. However, human health is not built solely from a collection of symptoms and data patterns. Within it lies observation, clinical experience, empathy, intuition, and professional responsibility inherent in every medical worker. AI can be an initial gateway to improve health literacy, but it cannot feel a pulse, read body language, touch a patient, or bear the consequences of a medical decision. Ultimately, behind every screen offering various possibilities, the examination room remains the birthplace of certainty—a place where science and humanity meet to protect and save lives.