Objective:

To explore the potential future impacts of a bespoke AI tool used in virtual consultations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals, emphasizing the exploratory nature of the study.

Key Findings:

• AI and virtual care are identified as significant health care megatrends, with examples of their implications.
• There are risks associated with AI deployment, including automation bias and model hallucination, which could lead to real-world consequences.
• The study highlights a gap in the literature regarding the future impact of AI in virtual consultations, underscoring the need for further research.

Interpretation:

The findings indicate a need for further exploration of AI's role in virtual consultations, particularly regarding its benefits and challenges in real-world clinical practice, with specific examples provided.

Limitations:

• The study is one of the few medical futures studies focusing on AI and virtual consultations, but it may also be subject to biases inherent in qualitative research.
• There is a scarcity of existing literature on the future impacts of AI in health care, which limits the context for this study.

Conclusion:

This study aims to address the gap in understanding the future implications of AI tools in COPD care and offers reflections for future research, highlighting potential impacts on practice and policy.