I don't deny the reality that our current system has atrocious incentives for spending too much money with very little return. The question is how do we get there from here? I don't think there's a lot of face to face long periods of doctor patient interaction in the rest of the world either. That's medicine at a global level that is deficient in time. In Asia, in many parts of Asia, it's two minutes in an appointment instead of seven. So it has to get better. But just getting back to the UK model because in the US, as you know, life expectancy has decreased three years in a row. It's never been the case of any country having less
Cardiologist and author Eric Topol talks about his book Deep Medicine with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Topol argues that doctors spend too little face-to-face time with patients, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning is a chance to emphasize the human side of medicine and to expand the power of human connection in healing. Topol surveys the current landscape of the application of technology to health care showing where its promise has been overstated and where it is having the most impact. The conversation includes a discussion of the placebo effect and the importance of the human touch in medicine.