Physicians seek to center decision-making on our patients, but this is often at odds with the pressures of the medical industry. Medical information often is kept in separate silos: There is content for patients, which is often found via Google search and littered with misinformation, and there are separate resources for clinicians.
For too long, practitioners have been expected to commit to memory loads of complex data, while being overwhelmed with irrelevant information. A 2018 Coverys report found that the most common root cause of medical professional liability claims was related to diagnosis.1 These diagnostic errors harm patients and erode their trust in their providers, putting physicians and institutions at financial risk.
Practices should bring all the information that is unique to patients into the decision-making moment. We need to give the data context so that when a decision is made, the decision-makers — provider, patient or both — feel as though the information is relevant to them. Here are two keys to leverage data to improve care and diagnostic accuracy, increase trust and compliance, and address inequities in medicine.
These visual tools can be used in person in the exam room or via telehealth to educate patients, ease anxiety and increase compliance. Most patients say they feel better supported when their doctor shows them images of their diagnosis.2 Often patients show up to the hospital or their doctor’s office with preconceptions about their condition because they already consulted “Dr. Google.”
Sharing medical images is especially helpful when a patient has a common condition such as eczema or psoriasis but demands a referral to a specialist. Normally a primary care physician knows immediately when a patient has a common condition; the ability to share images that match the patient’s presentation or print/email the patient a handout that explains the condition can be reassuring and help the patient understand why the referral is unnecessary.
Inequities exist in our medical education and resources. A recent study of dermatology resources shows that skin of color is underrepresented. Of the more than 15,000 images analyzed across all resources, only 19.5% included dark skin.3 Medical educational resources and reference materials, as well as AI technology, must include skin of color — not in a separate atlas of dark skin but as part of a single tool that handles all skin types.
Professionals need access to comprehensive and highly reliable knowledge systems as they work. Information technology can ultimately improve care and provide the patient with a better experience in the exam room and at home — not by replacing clinicians, but by supporting them with augmented intelligence.
For too long, practitioners have been expected to commit to memory loads of complex data, while being overwhelmed with irrelevant information. A 2018 Coverys report found that the most common root cause of medical professional liability claims was related to diagnosis.1 These diagnostic errors harm patients and erode their trust in their providers, putting physicians and institutions at financial risk.
Practices should bring all the information that is unique to patients into the decision-making moment. We need to give the data context so that when a decision is made, the decision-makers — provider, patient or both — feel as though the information is relevant to them. Here are two keys to leverage data to improve care and diagnostic accuracy, increase trust and compliance, and address inequities in medicine.
1. Incorporate visualization of medical data
We are moving swiftly toward an era of visualization of medical ideas. This goes beyond photos of rashes and extends to X-rays, EKGs and medical illustrations. Visual information needs to be distilled so that it meets the fast pace of decision-making in healthcare. A doctor in an emergency room, for example, does not have enough time to thumb through pages of a book; she wants to be able to access it in under a minute.These visual tools can be used in person in the exam room or via telehealth to educate patients, ease anxiety and increase compliance. Most patients say they feel better supported when their doctor shows them images of their diagnosis.2 Often patients show up to the hospital or their doctor’s office with preconceptions about their condition because they already consulted “Dr. Google.”
Sharing medical images is especially helpful when a patient has a common condition such as eczema or psoriasis but demands a referral to a specialist. Normally a primary care physician knows immediately when a patient has a common condition; the ability to share images that match the patient’s presentation or print/email the patient a handout that explains the condition can be reassuring and help the patient understand why the referral is unnecessary.
2. Use diverse, representative resources and tools
Systemic racism is prevalent in medicine and healthcare and leads to delayed detection, undertreatment and increased morbidity and mortality. As clinicians we need to be provided with knowledge that can reduce our biases, and we need to be comfortable treating people of all skin types — this is true beyond dermatology and across all specialties. To do that we need to ensure that we are using trusted solutions built by clinicians, developed on diverse datasets, and free from cognitive bias against factors such as race, sex, socioeconomic status, age and more.Inequities exist in our medical education and resources. A recent study of dermatology resources shows that skin of color is underrepresented. Of the more than 15,000 images analyzed across all resources, only 19.5% included dark skin.3 Medical educational resources and reference materials, as well as AI technology, must include skin of color — not in a separate atlas of dark skin but as part of a single tool that handles all skin types.
Professionals need access to comprehensive and highly reliable knowledge systems as they work. Information technology can ultimately improve care and provide the patient with a better experience in the exam room and at home — not by replacing clinicians, but by supporting them with augmented intelligence.
Moving forward
Medicine is a team sport that includes people at home and professionals in hospitals and offices. We need to improve all our medical decisions; to do that, we need to bring equitable, data-driven evidence and tools to decision-making, as well as share information with patients that effectively communicates and engages them in their care journey. By arming clinicians with the right technology, we can foster collaborative relationships with patients, improve experiences and outcomes, and even work toward addressing systemic problems such as unconscious bias and racial disparities of care.Notes:
- Hanscom R, Small M, Lambrecht, A. Diagnostic Accuracy: Room for Improvement. Coverys. Available from: bit.ly/3hPYuQI.
- Breitbart EW, Choudhury K, Andersen AD, et al. “Improved patient satisfaction and diagnostic accuracy in skin diseases with a Visual Clinical Decision Support System — A feasibility study with general practitioners.” PLOS One. July 29, 2020. Available from: bit.ly/2ShJtfH.
- Alvarado SM, Feng H. “Representation of dark skin images of common dermatologic conditions in educational resources: A cross-sectional analysis.” JAAD. June 17, 2020. Available from: bit.ly/3ww3L44.
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