Worldwide, almost everywhere, increased internet access and the growing use of digital devices have fundamentally altered the information available to patients. Patients are becoming more empowered by technology to make healthcare decisions; patients now commonly ask for more information and expect to be involved when making diagnostic and therapeutic choices.
At the same time, the healthcare system is becoming increasingly complex; every country is trying to figure out how to end the pandemic socially and medically.
As a result, many doctors feel unhappy, disempowered, and alienated from their work systems; they are seen as part of the problem rather than the solution.
The solution is undoubtedly directing us back to technology. The future of healthcare is data and work-smart people. Future doctors will probably need these characteristics enhanced:
- Healing ability: having knowledge and technical skills to heal people beyond treating disease. Healing and treating are related concepts, Healing, however, can come in many forms other than treating.
- Understanding of systems: doctors are no more the dominator but essential players in healthcare systems, from clinical teams to national and international systems. Doctors need to understand those complex systems and, more importantly, know how to improve them.
- Enthusiasm for learning and changing: medical students are taught that medical practice is a lifelong learning process. Nowadays, continuing learning is an essential survival skill; love to learn and change is a characteristic of future doctors.
- Comfort with technology: it is particularly true with information and digital technology; recognize that doctor plus technology will be much more effective than a doctor alone.
- Patient-centered: the concept of patient-centered care emerged in the early 50s; it exploded exponentially in the late 90s. As we strive to improve the quality of care, a patient-centered model can play a pivotal role in this process. More research is needed to explore the various attributes of patient-centered care, its acceptability, digital transformation, and comparative effectiveness in the healthcare arena.
- Understanding of evidence: doctors are educated about hierarchies of evidence. Future doctors must be capable of combining different types of shreds of evidence, analyzing and weighting them effectively. Learn to work with and apply algorithms.
- Profound ethical understanding: future doctors must recognize the moral issue and have the capacity to think and practice ethically.
- Communication skills: listening more than telling. Since Hippocrates’ time, medical school professors have taught their students to listen to their patients. Medical doctors all realize that the patient’s medical history and the patient’s account of his or her illness is the best source of information to make an accurate diagnosis and healing plan.
- Love of diversity: enjoying working with people from different backgrounds and of different views and skills.
Social, technological, and science is reforming the role of doctors rapidly. The change of the doctors is driven by patients, knowledge, the workforce, and technological change around us. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has thrust many changes upon the doctors in the new ways of thinking and working.