Justin Dubin, MD, on the role for AI in patient education

“With the right use, AI can and hopefully will play a massive role in patient education,” says Justin M. Dubin, MD, a men’s health expert at Memorial Healthcare System in Florida.

Dubin recently sat down with Urology Times® to discuss the use of artificial intelligence in the men’s health space,¹ specifically touching on its potential benefits for patient education. He noted that while there are some limitations and cautions when using AI in this way, there is a role for large language models to supplement consultations with a clinician. When used cautiously, these tools can allow patients to better understand health concerns and ask informed questions when seeking care.

According to Dubin, men’s health concerns are things that patients are already seeking to understand through the use of AI.

Dubin also noted that data has already shown the potential benefits of large language models when used appropriately.

Specifically, he cited a paper from Chung, et al² that assessed the real-world utility of ChatGPT for pre-vasectomy counseling. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to pre-vasectomy counseling with ChatGPT plus the standard in-person visit or to the standard in-person consultation alone.

Overall, the study demonstrated that use of ChatGPT improved the efficiency of consultations as well as the clinician’s perception of the patient’s understanding of the procedure. Additionally, the quality of information provided by ChatGPT, the ease of use, and the overall experience were rated highly.

REFERENCES

1. Panken EJ, Patel AU, Schammel J, Dubin J. Man and machine: exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and men's health. Curr Opin Urol. 2025;35(3):236-242.doi: 10.1097/MOU.0000000000001274

2. Chung D, Sidhom K, Dhillon H, et al. Real-world utility of ChatGPT in pre-vasectomy counselling, a safe and efficient practice: a prospective single-centre clinical study. World J Urol. 2024;43(1):32. doi:10.1007/s00345-024-05385-4