Hospitals' Use of Artificial Intelligence to Detect Intimate Partner Violence Creates Problems

Nowadays, hospitals and emergency rooms are trying to determine whether patients have been subjected to intimate partner violence by using artificial intelligence technologies. When a patient presents to the emergency room with a severe migraine pain, AI systems can make predictions that the patient might be a victim of violence by analyzing the patient's medical history and symptoms. However, this situation brings along serious ethical and practical problems in the context of patient privacy and automated data analysis. Along with the increasing use of technology in medical fields, concerns regarding the processing of sensitive data are also growing. Experts point out that integrating artificial intelligence into decision-making mechanisms on such a complex and sensitive issue may have unexpected consequences.

One of the most fundamental problems of such AI-powered screening systems is the high probability of false positive and false negative results. Patients' physical complaints, accidental injuries, or chronic conditions can be mistakenly interpreted by AI as signs of violence. These misinterpretations can cause patients to be unnecessarily questioned and traumatized. At the same time, there are also situations where the system fails to detect an actual victim of violence, which leads to missed intervention opportunities. The fact that AI algorithms are not yet sufficiently developed to fully understand the complexity of human behavior and the diverse manifestations of violence poses a major obstacle.

Patient privacy and data security constitute another critical issue raised by AI-based violence detection systems. Hospitals analyzing their patients' personal and highly sensitive data through algorithms without explicit consent is a questionable practice in terms of medical ethics. In particular, transferring information that must be kept confidential to ensure the safety of patients who are victims of violence to automated systems carries great risks. Since patients are unaware of such data analysis, they may feel that their private lives are being invaded. This situation damages the fundamental relationship of trust between healthcare institutions and patients, and has the potential to make patients hesitate to seek medical help in the future.

The unintended psychological effects that AI systems may have on patients who are victims of violence cannot be ignored either. A person applying to a hospital for emergency medical assistance being secretly scanned by potentially judgmental software can create fear and anxiety in the patient. The patient's reluctance to disclose the fact that they have experienced violence may stem from various personal, legal, or psychological reasons. Algorithms pushing the patient into explicit questioning or embedding such assumptions into medical records can strip the patient of their control. Processing such sensitive issues, which human doctors approach with empathy and care, by a cold algorithm can trigger problems such as post-traumatic stress. Therefore, the profound effects of technology on patient psychology must be carefully evaluated.

In light of all these problems, experts emphasize the need to introduce much stricter rules and regulations regarding the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare services. In a highly complex issue such as intimate partner violence, technological solutions fall short on their own and cannot replace the human touch. An effective violence detection and intervention mechanism must be built upon the training of healthcare personnel, strong patient-physician dialogue, and safe reporting networks. AI tools should be positioned as assistants supporting human experts, rather than being used as definitive decision-making mechanisms. Redrawing the ethical boundaries of healthcare technologies in the future is of great importance both to protect patient safety and to improve the quality of medical care.