Robert M. Wachter, M.D., is Professor and Associate Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and is Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine UCSF Medical Center. He is the author of The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age. Before the Internet came about, if you felt something was wrong with your health, you had to contact your doctor and wait for an opening to make an appointment.
In today's world, if you're feeling symptoms you usually don't experience on a daily basis, you might hop online, type what you're experiencing in the search bar and wait for a diagnosis.
In fact, doctors now will often Skype or Facetime with patients in order to save time from overflow in offices.
Healthcare's digital transformation hasn't been an easy one and might be taking longer than expected. There are still a lot of bumps that need to worked out, but digital doctors might be more prevalent in the future than previously thought.
What will the doctor-patient relationship be like in the future?
Robert M. Wachter, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how healthcare is changing in the digital age and if it's causing more harm than convenience.
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Digital Doctor: Is There Harm in Medicine’s Computer Age?
Guest
: Robert M. Wachter, MD
From the Show: Health Radio
Summary: What needs to change to make digitalized healthcare work better for both patients and doctors?
Air Date: 6/10/15
Duration: 10
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
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