The AI perception crisis in healthcare
In Türkiye, AI in healthcare is often equated with chatbots. This narrow view makes it harder for institutions to see where AI can help with data analysis and decision support.
Türkiye’s healthcare sector is going through an important stage of digitalization. At this stage, a common misperception about artificial intelligence is holding progress back. When AI is mentioned, the public and many institutions think only of chatbots. This limited view is no longer just a matter of perception; it has become an operational and strategic problem.
A chatbot-only definition undervalues AI in healthcare
Seeing AI as nothing more than simple question-and-answer systems weakens health professionals’ trust in the technology. The real needs in healthcare are making sense of large amounts of data, supporting the diagnostic process and reducing the load on specialist staff.
Five structural problems in health technology
The main structural problems in health technology in Türkiye can be listed as follows:
- A lack of meaningful analysis despite an abundance of data
- Diagnostic errors and declining trust in systems
- Abuse and cost risk in insurance processes
- A lack of integration between systems
- Burnout of specialist staff in operational work
Decision support is different from a chatbot
Unlike chatbots, clinical decision support systems assess the patient record, clinical sources and the institution’s rules together. In healthcare and insurance, these systems are expected to support diagnosis in hospitals, risk analysis in insurance, faster reporting in laboratories and evidence-based recommendations for physicians.
Data security requirements are also different
Institutions that work with simple chatbots may overlook the level of security that clinical AI systems require. For a system that works with patient data, processing in line with KVKK and GDPR requirements, encryption and role-based access control are basic expectations.
For the difference between chatbots and clinical decision support systems, see the guide General-purpose chatbots and clinical decision support.