The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is becoming increasingly common. This development holds great promise for the quality and accessibility of healthcare, but is not without risks. On the one hand, AI has its advantages: it facilitates accurate diagnosis of patients and it makes it possible to hold e-consults. On the other hand, it brings along risks for patients’ rights and privacy. Current European regulation insufficiently tackles these risks. The newly proposed Artificial Intelligence Act aims to better regulate AI in healthcare. However, the proposed Act lacks of a human-centric approach: the proposal centres on companies rather than people. Although certainly not perfect, the proposed Act is a step forward toward better regulation of AI in healthcare. Given the ongoing digitalisation of healthcare and rapid developments in AI, it surely will not be the last. In her article, Hannah van Kolfschooten describes the legal developments regarding the use of AI in healthcare and the consequences for patients’ rights from a European perspective.
This article was published in the Tijdschrift voor Gezondheidsrecht in Dutch.
Please cite as Mr. H.B. van Kolfschooten, ‘Eerste stappen in Europese regulering van artificiële intelligentie: algoritmes en patiëntenrechten’, TvGR 2021, p. 381-389.
Hannah van Kolfschooten | Digital Health Law in the European Union 