Currently submitted to: Journal of Participatory Medicine
Date Submitted: Mar 6, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Mar 20, 2026 - May 15, 2026
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The AI-Empowered Patient: A Framework for Responsible AI Engagement in Healthcare
ABSTRACT
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare delivery and patient engagement, as tools like diagnostic imaging algorithms, symptom checkers, and AI platforms such as ChatGPT Health, Claude, and Google Health AI proliferate. However, this rapid adoption has left patients surrounded by AI yet lacking the necessary frameworks and literacy to use these tools safely and effectively. This viewpoint proposes the AI-Empowered Patient™ framework—a patient-centered model built on three pillars (Preparation, Verification, Protection)—that empowers individuals to engage responsibly with healthcare AI. We further outline governance principles for patient-facing AI encompassing transparency, human oversight, privacy by design, equity and inclusion, and continuous monitoring, and introduce an AI Privacy and Operations model for operationalizing those principles at the organizational level. A comparative analysis of major AI healthcare platforms and targeted recommendations for healthcare organizations, policymakers, technology developers, and patients are also presented. AI will not replace physicians, but it will fundamentally reshape how patients experience care. Success requires active patient participation, robust organizational governance, and regulatory frameworks that prioritize trust, transparency, and equity.
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