Recording: Smarter Clinical Decisions with ACOEM Guidelines: Practical Use + AI on the-Webinar Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This webinar explored how ACOM clinical guidelines support smarter occupational medicine decisions and how AI may change their creation and use. Dr. Matt Thies emphasized that guidelines are decision support, not replacements for clinician judgment. He described two main uses: first, structuring care from diagnosis through treatment, work restrictions, and return-to-work planning; second, using recommendation strength to guide flexibility, exceptions, and documentation. He also highlighted ACOM’s rigorous evidence-based process and the importance of transparency.<br /><br />Lucy Shannon explained how MD Guidelines is already using an AI tool called Laser AI to speed up literature screening and evidence table creation, reducing tasks that once took months to weeks. She stressed that AI is augmenting, not replacing, human review, and may eventually help create “living guidelines” that update faster when new evidence appears.<br /><br />Panelists discussed future uses such as embedding guidelines into EHRs for dynamic point-of-care decision support, improving access through conversational tools, and helping clinicians manage the growing volume of medical literature. They also noted key skills for clinicians: critical thinking, awareness of bias, understanding evidence quality, and using AI with “friction” and verification rather than blind trust.

Keywords

ACOM clinical guidelines

occupational medicine

AI in healthcare

evidence-based medicine

decision support

return-to-work planning

living guidelines

Laser AI

clinical judgment