OCTOBER 20239outcomes are mitigated. However, this eutopia comes with some caveats. Inequities of access to reliable technology and connectivity must be addressed to avoid accentuating health disparities. And some in health delivery may be slow to jump on board. As patients can seek virtual care anywhere - across the country at centers of excellence or with a disruptor in the industry ­ community-based providers may perceive a threat; a new kind of competition for systems and providers who historically felt secure in their market share or niche. Evolved organizations will seize the opportunity. Virtual visits and companion technology may allow differentiation. Or the ability for fewer physicians and their extenders to manage larger panels of patients. Distant providers can deliver care in underserved areas where clinicians are not physically present in sufficient numbers. Researchers will benefit by enrolling a more diverse population in studies by including patients who previously did not have the means to travel to an academic medical center, thereby reducing bias. Virtual work also serves a purpose in today's environment of healthcare workforce shortages. Clinicians and other team members will benefit from improved flexibility in how, where and when we work ­ one approach to addressing burnout and the great resignation. On a larger scale, Artificial Intelligence enhances safety and quality on a population level when we leverage `big data' coming from sources such as Electronic Medical Records, radiologic films, echocardiograms, lab results and biosensors. Using biometric data and relevant risk factors, AI improves risk assessment for breast cancer. Natural Language Processing assists in flagging lung nodules mentioned incidentally in radiology reports. Algorithms pinpoint the exact dose and location for radiation of tumors, improving accuracy and reducing risk of treatment complications. Machine learning algorithms identify pulmonary hypertension 6-18 months earlier than traditional diagnostic methods. We can leverage this data technology to understand and anticipate who will get sick or experience disease progression based on their genetic makeup or constellation of symptoms and risk factors. Increasingly AI can predict how an individual will respond to specific treatment regimens with precision. The rate of development in health-related technology is astounding. But adoption is slow, and many of the promised benefits are still limited on a population level. The types of technology described in this editorial serve us ubiquitously in aspects of daily life - how we shop, what we watch, who we connect with. Technology alone will not make the dramatic changes in health that are often promised by innovative companies promoting the next generation of biomedical engineering or AI powered algorithms. Technology cannot take the place of clinical acumen, reliable processes and engaging each patient as part of their care team. The key to success is a triad: People, Process and Technology. When Tech companies sufficiently engage healthcare experts and patients in the development of their innovations, and the healthcare delivery system broadly adopts improved, tech-compatible processes vastly different than the past, technology can enable higher quality, safer outcomes, efficiencies for providers, and a patient-centric approach to care. Technology cannot take the place of clinical acumen, reliable processes and engaging each patient as part of their care team. The key to success is a triad: People, Process and Technology
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