AI Threatens To Further Erode Physician Autonomy

“Trust me, I’m a doctor.” This refrain was typically enough to satisfy payers, administrators, and patients throughout the so-called “golden age of medicine” (1950-1980s), when physicians worked in small practices they owned, set their payment rates, and were highly regarded and rarely scrutinized.

Times have changed. Over the past several decades, various forces have eroded physician autonomy, leaving many dissatisfied and burned out. Artificial intelligence will…