Today, healthcare faces a crucial challenge: leveraging clinical decision support (CDS) tools to make smarter, more efficient healthcare referrals. Speaking at the Canadian Association of Radiologists’ (CAR) Conference on Digitizing Healthcare Referrals, I shared thoughts on integrating CDS into healthcare systems and how we can make these tools more practical for clinicians and valuable for…
Together with Anthony Divalentino, the talented and exceptionally bright Executive Director of the Central Brampton Family Health Team, we are bringing forth a three-part series on implementing technology in community practices. We hope this will combine the experiences of both the clinical and administrative sides of care, talking about the issues and helping solve problems…
A Doctors Perspective: Why We Need Rapid and Immediate Adoption of AI in Healthcare I recently had the privilege of participating in a debate during the Canadian Health Informatics Executive Forum (CHIEF), which followed Digital Health Canada’s 2024 eHealth Conference. The resolution stated: “Be it resolved that: Rapid and immediate adoption, at scale, of artificial…
Data availability is a crucial factor in developing and deploying AI tools in healthcare, including those used in primary care. The potential of AI in healthcare relies heavily on access to high-quality, diverse, and well-annotated data. Here are some considerations regarding the availability of data for AI applications in primary care: Electronic Health Records (EHRs):…
We have talked a lot about the issues surrounding AI in our medical practices, but now it’s time to think about tools we can use to improve our work lives. Several types of AI applications have the potential to be integrated into office settings now or very soon, offering benefits to both healthcare providers and…
In my last three posts, I looked at AI in medical practice, unravelling some of the mysteries of what it is and is not and diving deep into trust issues. Many physicians are moving ahead with tools for their practices, primarily large language model-based, and if using a well-tested product, they are finding it relatively…
“Trust is like the air we breathe – when it’s present, nobody really notices; when it’s absent, everybody notices.” Warren Buffett In the age of rapid technological advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool that can potentially transform the medical industry. The dialogue surrounding AI’s integration into healthcare is a testament to…
This is the second in a six-part series being written to more deeply explore the incredible potential of AI in healthcare, specifically in the practices of family physicians and specialists in the community. Much of this is incredibly exciting. But doctors live in a world of evidence, and there are good reasons why mistrust and…
Like anything new, some doctors have told me that AI in medicine is a fad. It will never be able to do what a physician does. To a degree, for the next few years, they are correct. But AI is not just a fad; it represents a significant and enduring technological advancement with far-reaching implications…
There has been vibrant discussion online recently about the possibility and opportunity of using artificial intelligence in community clinical care. Some of this has taken on an almost prophetic tone, filled with enthusiasm about the potential for AI tools to enhance our capabilities and efficiency. Many other posts, however, have been cautionary tales, tinged with…
