Should We Replace Consulting Doctors With Software?

Question

Software accessible by the Internet, that way you could have access to a virtual doctor 24/7, free of charge and ask all the questions you want and take all the measurements you want without being judged, rediculed, refused and without condescending manners.

Nurses would provide the medications if necessary and specialized surgeons would keep their position.

Since doctors are mostly used for advice and tests, then this part we don't need doctors for. Software could provide the advice and interpret the test results and nurses could administer medication and perform the tests.

That way, people would have more power over their own health and would not need the doctor's permission to know what's going on. Also, they would not keep a compromising record on you either. Some medical records are even worse than a criminal record.

Answer 1

OMG! I have been thinking about the same thing! Unfortunately, I have had to encounter a number of these rude arrogant doctors.

Anyways, my idea for a software doctor works similar to yours but with a web cam where there is a data base of pics in the software and once the computer has a pic of your rash on your arm etc, it scans it's database for a match.

The less dealings with doctors the better as a jerk of a doctor can do more harm than good to a sick patient.

Oh and I should clarify, I mean using the software as a way of empowering the patient and for simple stuff..we can't replace doctors completely but as a means to faster diagnosis and less running around to ignorant doctors , it would be really useful!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

You have the right to access your medical records. The problem is most folks do not know the right questions to ask. Also even if you know a lot of medical stuff, you can still be blindsided by an unusual circumstance. For medical conditions, I firmly believe that you have to take charge of your own medical treatment. The best advice I can offer would be to ask questions until you get the right answer. A Dr. should also not get upset if you feel compelled to get a professional second opinion ( I am talking about the stuff that could be terminal here). As for medical software. Your answer will probably be expressed in a % of how it is related to your condition, just like the answers to queries in a search engine. For an answer with only 5% relevance, wouldn't you like a real (granted fallible) person telling you if this condition applies to you. Especially if the condition will result in a permanent hard drive failure (terminal condition)

Answer 4

My concern is that the software and websites providing medical information nowadays are WH0RES for drug companies, especially WebMD. Type in a simple question about how much sleep you need per night, and all of a sudden you have a popup convincing you that you have a serious sleep disorder and you need this new medication. "The first time's free!"

It's a good idea to have resources available so you can research and educate yourself about your body and your illness, but a physician operating on not only knowledge and facts but INSTINCT is required for a true holistic and accurate picture of the problem and solution.

I agree with you about the medical records issue and how it can damage a person as much as a criminal record. However, it can also save a life. The trick is deciding on a good balance between safety and surveillance.

Online consultants and online pharmacies have caused more trouble than they have prevented. Fear of embarassment and inconvenience is keeping people from seeing a real doctor - this real doctor can ask questions you might not have thought of to ask, based on what she or he sees, hears, feels, even smells, when you're in the exam room in person.

We also must consider and realize that not everyone has access to these websites and software. When people start talking about things we don't need anymore, like paper money, newspapers, grocery stores, etc., they are forgetting the large percentage of people who do not own computers, cannot afford them, are homeless or near homeless, are elderly or disabled and not computer savvy or able to use a computer, etc. If we pour our resources into doing everything on the computer, we are further disenfranchising those among us who are most in need and can only use non-computerized services. A teenage runaway who finds herself pregnant and in need of care will likely not have a debit card, insurance, cell phone, Internet access, and knowledge of what to do, to ensure she gets the right care. She needs a real person with medical training, financial advice, and referral information.

The world has already become dehumanized too much. I don't think healthcare is a good next step in that continued dehumanization.

Answer 5

not all diagnosis can be made just machines.
how can the software differentiate between someone saying "i hurt my leg" and "my leg hurt very much"? how can a software measure the intensity of the pain? is the software gonna ask something like "what is the intensity, 1-10, of your pain (1 being least pain and 10 being most pain)?" or "where specificly is the pain coming from? (state measurements from the nearest body parts, ex: 12.5cm from the neck going south)"
there are just some things that are better of done by a human being..
my suggestion is: a special job is needed to give proper diagnosis before it is consulted with a doctor. that way doctors time are not wasted on people who only come to see doctors out of normal flu..this person will classify each case and send them of to respective doctors or just take the medicine at the pharmacist. of course this person need some of the qualification of a doctor. maybe just the identification of diseases but not the curing part. they give diagnosis and advice but does not perform medical treatment..
anyway, its just that i think most doctors work so hard during the 5 yrs(average) studying in med school just to treat simple flu cases that can just be treated with some medication that can be obtained at the local pharmacy

Answer 6

YUP
The doctors have a multi million dollar program that some company is flogging that asks " how are you feeling? , how are you eating? Are you dizzy? etc. and then gives the doctor the diagnosis...
you must be kidding.
A good software program, free- online would be better.

It is happening, (online help) but the multi million dollar MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS
are lobbying with their lawyers and millions to make certain that
only they can " DIAGNOSE". ( hard cold medicine, they say,
not witchcraft or herbals or holistics ). Yet, when you go to a doctor, where is the hard cold scientific medicine ? - are you feeling happy? are you eating well? etc.... it is guessology that a computer program can do ! ! At least a computer program won't be in a grumpy mood, or drunk from the golf party the night before etc.
When you come out of a doctor's office with a prescription for a deadly man made patented, copywrited, registered, drug, made in a chemical vat in a multi billion dollar industrial complex ,
name one single " hard, cold, scientific medical laboratory result"
that the doctor tested you with, in the office ( forget the blood pressure,/ temperature jollies - you can buy more accurate equipement on eBay )....

Give me the computer program any day...

You can read the terror in minds of the medical practitioners
above when they tell you how horrible a software program would be - terror of loosing their monopoly on GUESSING...

Answer 7

im sorry that you missed my point. I was pointing out that you could replace someone with a job of oh lets say a mcdonalds employee with a robot but not a doctor. usually people get the vibes that they give off so maybe the problem maybe YOU not the doctors. and I dont mind your input about my bike trip thanks for commenting. by the way AI has yet to hit the point where it is feasible for your ideas to become fact. also the situation with you having access to your medical records and knowing and having input on your care is much better than it used to be when doctors didnt have to have your consent to do anything they wanted. I am sorry that you have not enjoyed your medical care but, people like you are going to make medicine better. People with your beliefs should do something positive in the field instead of wasting the vast amount of energy and power to hold such strong feelings that you have.

Have A Nice Day
PS I hope my answer gets voted as the best.

HE HE

Answer 8

Fantastic Idea!! BUT!!!!
Who would be in charge
of the information for
the software????

Don"t tell me - it would be
the pharmaceutical companies!

Keep them away from it, like
we should have kept them
away from the doctors,
and only let it be about
medicine, not their drugs.

That probably sounds silly
to a lot of people, but what
the pharms are doing to
the- and with the medical
profession is a CRIME!

Did you hear on the news
this very morning about
what they are doing to
the medical students as
far as education????

Medicine should not be all
about,"Here, take this, and
here, take that(kind of RX)"
It should be about, "This is
what is wrong with you and
this is what is causing it, so
do 'this' and don't do 'that!' "

Such as bad liver - don't take
medicine for liver - QUIT ingesting
alcohol!! Or quit eating so much
grease and sugar! But instead,
they just give them an RX and
let them continue with their
unhealthy lifestyle.
Oh you know what I mean!
Yes, sometimes drugs are good,
but most of the time we do not
even need them. The pharms,
however, have to continue to make
money, so ......

Answer 9

There's no way that a pc can take the place of a consulting doctor. There are problems that a doctor has to actually see or feel and a pc cannot do that. I had a medical problem recently that took 2 md's, x-rays, mri and 2 specialists before they could figure out what it was. Can you imagine if I only had a pc to go to? It would never work. It's great that we have online forums to look at to get an idea of what we are experiencing but to get rid of them altogether could be disasterous.

Answer 10

To an extent, I agree with you. I have had some experiences with doctors that left me very unenthusiastic about the medical profession. However, I would like to say that I've had excellent experiences as well. i do like the idea of diagnostic software, but you still need the human element. A machine can go through the variables, and it can calculate what data it is given, but it can't see the patient, talk to the patient and gain subjective insights too. Sometimes doctors determine a serious illness or disease because of "hunches" or ideas that allow them to follow a different train of thought than they normally would have.

I just think we shouldn't take the human element out of the doctor...or did they already beat us to that??? LOL