The Relation Between The Human Touch and Medical Technology: AND Instead of OR

I’ve been giving talks about the future of medicine for years and many times, part of the audience is worried about losing the human touch of practicing medicine by using more technologies. As a medical futurist, I want to make things clear here.

The relation between the human touch in medicine and disruptive innovations is and; instead of oras people tend to think. By losing the quintessence of practicing medicine, the real-life doctor-patient relationship, we would lose everything. Although without using innovative technologies, it is becoming more and more complicated (if not impossible) to provide proper care.

When I was 10 years old, I volunteered in computer shops to learn the hardware part of PCs. That time a man kept on coming back to the shop as he was expecting a delivery of a brand new hard drive he ordered some weeks ago. It was a hard drive of 40 megabytes (yes, megabytes) and he told me he had no idea what he would do with so much space on his computer. After almost two decades we have over a zettabyte of information online. It is practically impossible to keep up with that without using proper technologies. Moreover, it doubles now every 12 months, and soon will double every 12 hours.

The real challenge here is finding a balance between these; and it’s easier than you would think. Bypreparing for what is coming regarding medical innovation for all stakeholders of healthcare, we get a chance to start working out the methods and solutions in time, therefore we can use more and more efficient and secure technologies in medicine without losing the human touch of the doctor-patient relationship.

This is the topic I cover in my new book which should be out in a few months’ time. Wish me luck!