AI Poised too Reshape Primary Care, Shifting Doctor’s Role to Interpretation and Empathy – Stanford Professor
According to a recent discussion on the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) podcast, NOS, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving significant change within primary care, fundamentally altering the role of physicians.
Steven Lin, Professor of Family Medicine at Stanford university Hospital and founder of the ‘Healthcare AI Application Research Institute’ at Stanford, articulated these shifts during his appearance on the podcast. He expressed confidence that AI will bring about ”drastic changes” to how primary care is delivered.
Lin highlighted that the future of the clinician’s role will move beyond simply possessing extensive medical knowledge. Rather, the ability to synthesize AI-generated analysis with human judgment and empathetic patient care will become paramount.
A key benefit of AI, Lin explained, is its potential to alleviate the administrative burden on primary care physicians. Current studies indicate doctors spend approximately two hours on computer documentation for every hour spent with a patient. AI tools, functioning as automated scribes, can generate notes and assist with patient education, freeing up valuable time for direct patient interaction.
Looking further ahead, Lin suggested AI could evolve beyond documentation to become a clinical decision support tool, possibly improving diagnostic accuracy. He posited a future where a physician’s expertise lies not in memorizing vast amounts of medical data, but in effectively interpreting the insights provided by AI. “A lot of analysis, differentiation, and diagnosis will depend on AI,” he stated.
The changing landscape also extends to patient communication. Lin noted that Stanford Hospital currently receives eight times more patient messages through portals and text than through traditional in-person appointments. AI large language models are already being utilized to draft responses for physician review, streamlining this communication process.
importantly, Lin emphasized that the implementation of AI at his hospital has not led to increased patient loads for physicians. Actually, he reported zero physician attrition over the past four years, attributing this success to AI’s contribution to reducing physician burnout.
Lin also presented a provocative viewpoint on the efficacy of medical decision-making, suggesting that AI alone may ultimately outperform human or human-AI combinations. He cautioned, however, that while AI currently cannot independently provide primary care diagnosis, the medical community must grapple with the implications of potentially superior AI-driven insights and address concerns about over-reliance on the technology, notably in the training of future doctors.
This information is based on reporting from MEDI:GATE NEWS.
