By Joanne Finnegan | Jan 10, 2020
8:05am
Doctors say digital technology and data are driving change that
will create a different world of medicine in the next couple of decades, a new
report from Stanford Medicine finds.
In a survey, physicians, residents and medical students say they
expect almost a third of their current duties could be automated in 20 years.
And doctors are preparing for that very different healthcare future now,
according to the report (PDF).
Nearly half of physicians (73%) and most medical students (73%)
are seeking additional training in areas such as advanced
statistics, genetic counseling, population health and coding. One-third are
studying artificial intelligence, according to the
national survey of more than 700 physicians, residents and medical students
commissioned by Stanford Medicine to understand how changing trends will reach
the doctor’s office and shape patient care.
"We found that current and future physicians are not only
open to new technologies but are actively seeking training in subjects such as
data science to enhance care for their patients," said Lloyd Minor,
M.D., dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine, in a statement.
"We are encouraged by these findings and the opportunity
they present to improve patient outcomes. At the same time, we must be
clear-eyed about the challenges that may stymie progress,” he said.
Key trends that are reshaping healthcare include a maturing
digital health market, new health laws opening patient access to data and AI
gaining regulatory traction for medical use.
And the jury’s still out when it comes to whether the private
industry’s foray into healthcare—in the form of companies such as Amazon,
Google and Apple— will solve problems.
Physicians, residents and students had mixed views about the
impact these companies will have on healthcare, with 30% of students and
residents and 21% of physicians still undecided. While patient outcomes are
likely to improve, respondents are divided on whether physician effectiveness
will improve and say physician job satisfaction will likely decrease, while
healthcare costs likely increase.
Other findings include:
The value of data. The survey also showed
that providers are heavy digital users and they believe patient data from wearables can be clinically valuable.
Nearly half the survey respondents wear a health monitoring device, and most of
them use the data to inform their personal healthcare decisions (71% of
physicians, 60% of students and residents). A majority of students and
residents (78%) and physicians (80%) say self-reported data from a patient’s
health app would be clinically valuable in supporting their care. They also see
value in data from consumer genetic testing reports.
Doctors aren’t prepared to implement innovations. However,
most providers don’t believe the current generation of practitioners is ready
for the data-driven future, even current medical students and residents. When
asked to rate the effectiveness of their education to prepare them for these
developments, only 18% of current medical students and residents surveyed said
that their education was “very helpful.” And 44% of physicians surveyed said
their education was either “not very helpful” or “not helpful at all.”
The report pointed to the need to modernize curriculum and
training programs so current and future physicians can make the most of new
technologies.
The ongoing struggle with medical practice burdens. And,
no surprise, physicians and residents say they are struggling under medical
practice burdens. Nearly 1 in 5 would change their career path if given the
opportunity, citing poor work-life balance and administrative burdens as the
top reasons to reconsider their decision.
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