Classes in data analytics, artificial intelligence, and technology may sound like the course load of an MBA student, but a recently released report shows the immense value of this subject matter for medical students as well. The Stanford Medicine Trends in Health 2020 report entitled “The Rise of the Data Driven Physician” describes a future for physicians where data and technology are increasingly intermingled with effective patient care.
The report, which includes a survey of physicians (n=523), residents (n=133), and current medical students (n=77), analyzes how trends in medicine impact those on the front lines of patient care. The health care sector, the report claims, is undergoing “seismic shifts, fueled by a maturing digital health market, new health laws that accelerate data sharing, and regulatory traction for artificial intelligence in medicine.” And the report’s findings show that while there is acceptance and even enthusiasm around the benefits of data and technology among providers, there is also a real gap that exists between the training that physicians, residents, and students receive, and the demands of the evolving profession. Lloyd Minor, MD and Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine says, “We’ve 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. 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.”
The respondents appear keenly aware of the changes occurring within medicine and both physicians and residents say that they expect about a quarter of their current duties to be automated using technology over the next 20 years. Students predict that, on average, 30 percent of their duties will be automated. Further, just under half of the physicians surveyed (47 percent) and about three-quarters of the students surveyed (73 percent) say that they are currently seeking out training to better prepare themselves for innovations in health care. Among physicians who said they are currently attending training, the most popular subjects are genetic counseling (38 percent), artificial intelligence (34 percent), and population health management (31 percent). Students seeking additional training courses are taking advanced statistics and data science (44 percent), population health management (36 percent), and genetic counseling (30 percent) at the highest rates.
When asked about which innovations have the most potential to transform health care in the next five years, physicians as well as students and residents (grouped) were both most likely to respond with personalized medicine, followed by telemedicine. Both groups also see potential in artificial intelligence, wearable health monitoring devices, and genetic screening.
When the groups were asked about how helpful their education has been in preparing them for new technologies in healthcare, just under 20 percent of both students and residents (18 percent) and physicians (19 percent) responded “very helpful.” Current students and residents were more positive overall, with 58 percent responding that their education was “somewhat helpful.” Only 23 percent responded negatively. Among physicians, 36 percent found their education somewhat helpful, and the remaining 44 percent replied negatively.
The most notable gap, perhaps, is the one highlighted below, which showcases the difference between the perceived benefits of medical innovation for patients and how prepared the provider is in implementing that innovation. The two charts, students and residents (grouped) and physicians, show the group that agreed an innovation will be “very beneficial to future patients” compared to the group that said they feel “very prepared to use the innovation in practice.” Some of the gaps are marked. For example, over half of students and residents (55 percent) and physicians (51 percent) believe that personalized medicine will be very beneficial to future patients, yet only five percent of students and residents and 11 percent of physicians feel prepared to deliver it. Personalized medicine showed the largest gap between perceived benefit and preparedness for both groups, while virtual reality showed the smallest. Both groups feel very prepared to work with electronic health records, but there were lower levels of perceived benefit to the patient.
Gap Between Perceived Benefits to Patients and Provider Preparedness
This report demonstrates the changing nature of the medical profession, its current and continuing intersection with technology and big data, as well as the need to provide opportunities and training to medical providers so that they can use these innovations to improve patient care. Prospective and current medical students will want to carefully consider how they are using their time prior to and during medical school. It may be beneficial for them to spend time speaking with physicians and residents to gauge what technologies and research are driving change. Taking classes prior to medical school, in statistics and data modeling, as well as technology and AI may have a positive impact on their ability to bridge the gap between present demands and the traditional medical school curriculum.