Technology isn't healthcare's magic bullet. Behind all the machines and software, medicine still requires the human touch, says Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD, professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco and a staff physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
In a Wall Street Journal contributed piece, Dr. Dhaliwal writes the healthcare industry can't turn to technology to solve all of its issues, though this is a frequent tendency.
"Big data, the electronic medical record and the connected patient are frequently hyped as remedies to medicine's ills. But improving and restoring health is a messy business that requires investment in human capital more than physical capital," he writes.
Dr. Dhaliwal offers his "modest technology agenda" which includes using technology to assist him in improving the care he provides to his patients.
Big data versus good data: Instead of looking at big data, Dr. Dhaliwal says clinicians should look for good data. "Correlations that massive data sets churn out seldom change practice. Those associations are no different than any preliminary research finding: not ready for prime time until they are confirmed, scrutinized and distilled for daily practice," he writes. Providing clinicians with datasets is less useful than presenting them with findings.
EMRs: Electronic records are largely repositories for information, but they lack clinical support mechanisms and opportunities for learning, according to Dr. Dhaliwal. The main function of records now is a billing tool, and communicating through EMRs has taken a back seat. Dr. Dhaliwal writes EMRs should provide more functionality to clinicians, such as tracking patients when they see other physicians and alerting care teams about new test results.
mHealth: Telemedicine and mHealth solutions are too highly emphasized, according to Dr. Dhaliwal. Services like texting, emailing and videoconferencing physicians should be routine for follow-up consultations instead of routine examinations. Dr. Dhaliwal says the idea of the connected patient diminishes the importance of face-to-face interactions. "Many doctors already communicate electronically because it is the right thing to do — and because we believe it is more important to be connected to your healthcare provider than it is to be connected to your Fitbit," he writes.
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