T
he implications of the article by Anderson and associates go far beyond monitoring of cystoscopies. We are in an era of a growing doctor shortage and retrenched healthcare budgets. There will be an increased need for innovative approaches to deliver healthcare more efficiently and economically.
There are at least three reasons that the technology described by Anderson and colleagues should be embraced:
1. Transformation of teaching methods. Medical school teaching has always been a dynamic process, and most of what we learn during medical school is obsolete within a decade. The old operating theaters have been replaced by wide screen monitors, teaching videos, and three-dimensional computer programs illustrating anatomy. Just as medical knowledge is ever mutable, so should be the dynamics of teaching.
2. Growing doctor shortage. It has been estimated that by 2020, the United States will have a doctor shortage of 200,000.
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It is inevitable that physician extenders, such as nurse practioners and physician assistants, will have an expanded role in healthcare delivery. It would be struthian to think, however, that it will not also be necessary for the individual physician to increase his/her own clinical productivity. Remote supervision of procedures will become commonplace, especially in rural areas, where the doctor shortage will be even more pronounced. There are increasing reports of remote monitoring by anesthesiologists
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and remote consultations via the internet by pathologists.
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Remote clinical consultations are already being done routinely in many areas.
3. Retrenched healthcare budget. It is imperative that the cost of providing healthcare be drastically reduced. Remote monitoring of procedures and consultations offer a tangible option to provide care more economically in many circumstances. The surest way to curtail healthcare costs is to embrace innovation.
Anderson and coworkers in their report have given us a glimpse into the future. Such innovations in medical practice must be embraced by both patients and physicians.
