Watson, Come Here, We Need You by Aaron Levine MD
The headline goes IBM’s Watson wants to fix America’s doctor shortage. Shades of John Henry, the pile driving man (old folk song).
Some of my lamentations.
I ran a rehabilitation department for 22 years at a local hospital. I obtained Board Certification in Pain and EMG as well. I focused my private practice on the hospital and not on my own other interests. I turned down opportunities as I felt there were conflicts of interest. A little more than a year ago, I was summarily dismissed for a new graduate who is a salaried employee of the hospital. I tried to resurrect my practice over the year. CVS rebuilt one of their stores. I have gotten e-mailings asking if I was looking for a job as a PA or NP (I presume that I am on some mailing list that lumps all health professionals together). I was in the store the other day picking up a prescription. The teenaged clerk asked if I knew that the NP was available to see me if I had any problems. I gather she did not know that I have my own MD.
Heard a presentation on Watson at the California Medical Association Leadership Academy this year. Watson allows physicians to query the system in plain language and will research the entire recent medical literature to provide the answer to clinical questions in order of greatest efficacy. Physicians who tried it were enthusiastic and wanted access to this tool in their offices. Guess who bought the rights to the program from IBM? Anthem – with the intent to utilize Watson for prior authorization and utilization review. When asked if the utilization reviewers would follow Watson’s recommendations and approve therapies that might be more efficicious yet more expensive, the spokesperson had no comment ….
I never patronize any drugstore that has a “clinic,” but it would be almost worth it so I could tell said teenaged clerk “I’d rather eat dirt, thanks.”