As this issue of the Ponte Vedra Recorder recognizes Who’s Who in Health Care, health care and medical providers who are dedicated to caring for our community’s health and well-being, I felt compelled to write about the importance of actual human interaction with patients seeking treatment.
My son and I were having a pretty good conversation about AI. He says, “Dad, AI is the future, so you better get used to it.”
Certainly, I see the value in AI. Interestingly, I was a computer engineer major coming out of high school with an interest in robotics of all things. However, I recognized very early that I needed human interaction and felt my best talent was to work directly with people, not machines.
AI has a role in health care, particularly in medical research as we are beginning to decode complex protein structure so we can understand and treat disease better. It can also help with efficiency and systems in the delivery of care. For instance, we are launching an AI add-on to our electronic medical record system to help our therapists spend less time typing/documenting their findings and treatments, allowing them to be able to interact more with their patients while trying to meet the demands of their day.
What Artificial Intelligence cannot replace is the role and value of an Actual Individual. There is a saying that goes: No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. One of the keys to truly being a health care provider is the ability to create a therapeutic alliance with the patient. We also call this a patient-centered treatment approach.
What does that mean exactly? It means that health care providers must learn and be capable of creating an alliance with their patients but from a patient perspective. We must be able to demonstrate empathy and compassion and a sincere desire to truly understand all our patients’ needs and desires beyond what the labs and tests tell us. This is an extremely important and valuable skill set that unfortunately is beginning to get lost with advancement and, in a way, addiction to technology. My last article talked about the physical effects of our phones on our posture and spine but there is also a negative effect with our lack of interaction with a real person.
I tell my staff we must be able to convey hope and somehow a sense of joy with our interactions so patients can feel better not just physically but with their spirit, too.
Our hiring process is extremely tight with applicants required to do working interviews so we can see how they interact with our patients but also with our staff. I feel I can always help employees with their skillsets but not so much with their personalities, particularly if they don’t align with our value and style of delivery of care.
Being a health care worker is tough, particularly considering all the reimbursement cuts from the insurance payers, resulting in higher demands and pressure to see more patients to maintain the solvency of a practice. However, that doesn’t mean we can ignore that we have actual human beings that are seeking help and want us to be human beings, too. Human beings demonstrating that they care and are capable through their intelligent actions as well as their voice, body language and maybe even a therapeutic hug to those who are suffering. I don’t think Artificial Intelligence will ever do that. Only, an Actual Individual can.
Dr. Chris Kopp PT, DPT is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and is a board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and owner of Premier Physical Therapy. He can be reached at info@premierptjax.com or by calling 904-996-6922 or online at www.premierptjax.com.
