Since I started writing on the subject of life science, I have been excitedly telling people about some of the cool new medical devices I have discovered. Perhaps I am a bit over zealous because finally, one day, someone said, “Pretty soon they’ll be replacing doctors with machines”, and he didn’t mean it in a good way. Not only did this burst my bubble, it also made me wonder if perhaps we were taking technology a bit too far. Would computers rule the world some day? I started replaying scenes from The Matrix in my head. Were we all destined to be pacified and subdued by technological gizmos while our body’s heat and electrical activity were used as an energy source? Luckily, I came across this article in ImedicalApps before I got too worked up.
“Medicine cannot be reduced to a set of complex algorithms because much of the data for these algorithms cannot even be inputted. Those without training in medicine do not understand the multifaceted “behind the scenes” analysis that actually occurs when talking to a patient.
When physicians are asking patient’s their symptoms, we’re analyzing a complex amount of information that is not tangible and cannot be spoken or inputted into an algorithm: Eye contact; Subtle physical movements; How they respond to questions – does their tone change when describing a particular symtom, leading me to believe I’ll uncover more information if I ask more about this; How they smell; How they are sitting; The reaction of family members when the patient responds to a particular question; What they are wearing; Any signs of underlying trauma; and much more.
No matter how good you are at diagnosing and treating, unless you asked the right questions in a timely manner, all the knowledge in the world won’t be helpful. I’m sure an artificial intelligence program could produce a rudimentary H&P (History and Physical), but far from a focused and disease specific H&P a trained physician produces hundreds of times a month. Some would argue it’s why physicians have a minimum of 7 years of post-graduate training (medical school + residency) before we have the sole responsibility of a patient.”
I know I, for one, will rest easier knowing that our human existence is not threatened by the advances of technology.
[...] wrote a blog earlier this year in which I expressed how relieved I was that the robotic doctor, Watson from [...]