Abraham Verghese, MD, professor of medicine at Stanford University and author of the fantastic novel Cutting for Stone, contributed this NYTimes op/ed essay about the limitations of all-knowing computers in the clinic.
This computer record creates what I call an “iPatient” — and this iPatient threatens to become the real focus of our attention, while the real patient in the bed often feels neglected, a mere placeholder for the virtual record.Read the full essay, and then come back here to add your comments below -- what do you think of Dr. Verghese's focus on physical exam skills? Dr. Verghese visited Duke in October 2009 to read from Cutting for Stone. Watch video below: