The doctor will see you now – by Skype, of course
US healthcare authority says NHS digital medical consultations will be standard within a decade
VIRTUAL consultations with doctors could be more common than seeing them in person within a decade, the leader of a review of NHS technology has said.
Dr Eric Topol, a US genetist, has been commissioned by Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, to examine the NHS approach to genomics, robotics and artifical intelligence.
And he said remote monitoring of conditions, online consultations and telemedicine is set to become the norm within a decade – outnumbering faceto-face consultations.
He also said it could mean fewer doctors are needed in some areas.
“Over the next decade, we expect to see more and more remote monitoring of conditions and more virtual consultationsm,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the numbers overtake the number of physical visits within a decade.”
Dr Topol said advances in technology meant patients would increasingly be monitored with sensors.
His review, which reports in July will look at how the NHS can pioneer modern treatments and embarce innovation and technology.
Tens of thousands of staff will be trained as a result of the plans, health officials said. Dr Topol said said the workforce would need to change to make best use of technology, requiring an expansion in the number of data scientists, who can map the information about patients.
But he said some professions could see numbers reduce, as AI takes on some of the role performed by doctors and scientists.
“Ultimately, we may not need as many brainiacs as in the past, because of the advances we are seeing,” he said.
The expert in cardiology, genetics and digital medicine has written on the use of wireless and smartphone technology in healthcare, and led a multimillion dollar US research programme focusing on harnessing technology and data to provide more precise, tailored patient treatment.
“While it’s hard to predict the future, we know AI, digital medicine and genomics will have an enormous impact for improving the efficiency and precision in healthcare. Our review will focus on the extraordinary opportunities to leverage these technologies for the healthcare workforce and power a sustainable and vibrant NHS.”
Mr Hunt said: “Every week we hear about exciting new developments surfacing in the NHS, which could help provide answers to some of our greatest challenges such as cancer or chronic illness.
“These give us a glimpse of what the future of the whole NHS could be, which is why in the year of the NHS’S 70th birthday I want to empower staff to offer patients modern healthcare more widely and more quickly.”