By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Will Information Technology Squeeze Physicians Out Of Their Central Role In Health Care?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Will Information Technology Squeeze Physicians Out Of Their Central Role In Health Care?
eHealth

Will Information Technology Squeeze Physicians Out Of Their Central Role In Health Care?

Steve Wilkins
Steve Wilkins
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Not by a long shot if patients have anything to say about it.

Turns out that while most of us (90%) would like be able to make a doctor’s appointment and check lab results online….85% of us also still want the option of be able to talk to our physician face-to-face.  These are the finding from a recent 2012 study conducted by Accenture.

Not by a long shot if patients have anything to say about it.

Turns out that while most of us (90%) would like be able to make a doctor’s appointment and check lab results online….85% of us also still want the option of be able to talk to our physician face-to-face.  These are the finding from a recent 2012 study conducted by Accenture.

These finding will no doubt come as a surprise to many of those high tech newcomers to health care looking to make physician and trips to the doctor’s office a thing of the past with some new “killer health app.” You wouldn’t believe how little many of these software and app developers know about how health care works.  Then again, if you have looked at some of the EMRs, PHRs, and patient portals solutions being hyped out there maybe you could believe it.

What is significant about the finding cited above is that patients at least get it.  They understand the value of a having a relationship with a knowledgeable physician or similar health care provider.  In spite of, and for some, because of the plethora of health information outlets on the web people want to know that they always have access to your family doc when the chips are down.

More Read

siipc14
Keeping Patients in the Dark
7 Helpful And Important Tips For Improving Patient Experience
Why The Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment Market Is Set To Grow
HCPs and How They Use Social Media
Social Media and TEDMED

What newbie software engineers and  smart phone app developers fail to understand is that health care is fundamentally about social interactions…not technical data transactions like depositing a check or making an airline reservation.

Here’s what I mean…based upon some 20+ years working in health care:

  • From the get go…going back to Hippocrates…health and health care delivery has been about the relationships between people starting with the  physician-patient.relationship.
  • The most important diagnostic tool a physician has at their disposal is not a smart phone…but their ability to talk with and observe  patients verbal and non-verbal behavior.
  •  “Talk” is not only how physicians diagnose problems and recommend the appropriate treatments…talk is also how patients are able to engage in the health care.  Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of talk (and touch) during the medical exam is the therapeutic benefits patients derive from being able to express heart-felt fears and concerns to someone who hopefully cares.

The unfulfilled promises of so much of health information technology today (like Electronic Medical Records, Personal Health Records, and Patient Portals), with some notable exceptions like Kaiser, Group Health and the VA, can be traced directly back to developers not understanding that their job is to enable physician-patient relationships not get in their way or try and replace them.

I don’t consider myself a Luddite when it comes to health information technology…nor would I put most physicians in this category.  The health industry is going through massive change, and unfortunately in such time, there is also a lot of false starts and waste that comes from ill conceived HIT solutions.  I suspect that tech vendors that take the time to learn the business that is health care, and commit themselves to improving the physician-patient relationship…will do just fine.

 The Take Away…

The physician-patient relationship remains paramount for us patients.  Yes there are problems…yes physicians and patient need to learn to do a better job communicating with one another.  But when everything is said and done…when the chips are down…we don’t want to be forced to diagnose and treat ourselves.  We want to be able to see and talk with our doctor when we want.  And honoring the patient’s perspective after all is what patient-centered care is all about right?

And oh by the way…we still want the convenience of being able to go online to schedule an appointment and check out lab tests.

That’s my opinion…what’s yours?

Sources:

Squeezing out the doctor -The role of physicians at the center of health care is under pressure.  The Economist. June 2012.

Could mobile apps replace doctors?  KevinMD.com

TAGGED:doctor/patient relationship
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

nursing informatics
Medical Records

Nursing Informatics: The Future of Healthcare Jobs [INFOGRAPHIC]

June 6, 2014

Online Communities a Prevailing Theme at Medicine 2.0 Boston – A Surprise?

September 23, 2012
Image
eHealthGeriatricsTechnology

Person-Centered HealthCare: Envisage Visual Rehab Project Promotes Independence

February 8, 2013

Who Will Drive Social Media Use in Health Care? Part 3

July 29, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?