Ostensibly an interview about Dr Topol’s book ‘The Patient Will See You Now,’ it is more a discussion of Dr Topol’s thesis that patients in control of their data are upending the relationship between doctor (as authority) and patient. What Dr Wachter questions– is the lack of analytics to turn this into useful information for both doctor and patient. Dr Topol agrees that the data is outstripping the analytics:

The field has not been developed nearly the way it should be to get us to the virtual medical assistant, which integrates all relevant data about an individual and provides great data visualization back to that person. Once it does, we have a tremendous opportunity to help people, even to preempt illness.

Dr Topol is also widely depicted as an advocate of ‘DIY’ (do it yourself) medicine, but he is not; “This is more about acquiring diagnostic or monitoring data and still having an intimate relationship with a doctor to help guide the appropriate treatment.” Doctors will have to change their methods too. A worthy Weekend Read (and audio excerpt 08:05) in this month’s AHRQ WebM&M.

Previously in TTA: Dr Topol on his book at last year’s NYeC Digital Health Conference (contrasting with the central control-stop medical intervention at 75 advocacy of Ezekiel Emanuel); Dr Wachter on The Overdose (excerpted from his ‘Digital Doctor’ book)