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It’s easy to get so carried away by technology that sometimes you begin to miss out on its downside. Since this is for a medical website, readers can judge for themselves the advantages of technology. But the technology which seeks to encompass our lives might also be making us more vulnerable. Take doctors for instance. While relying more heavily on computers and diagnostic tests, doctors, especially in the west are losing out on their interpersonal skills and missing out on timely diagnosis in the bargain. Are they in fact losing their touch?

Undoubtedly, research and technology have helped the medical fraternity tremendously. They have also spawned varied careers like medical transcription for instance. Telemedicine too holds the promise of fostering health care in remote areas where previously there was none. That is one aspect. The other is using it to obtain specialist treatment, where previously it was imperative that a doctor see the patient first.

The more cases a doctor sees for himself, the more experience he gets. Relying on a machine to diagnose symptoms might make those skills a trifle rusty. The most crucial aspect in a doctor–patient relationship also gets lost–interpersonal communication. For, sometimes it is also the reassurance and moral support a patient looks for when he pays a visit to the doctor. An impersonal doctor can be as intimidating as the disease. How do doctors feel then?

Read more: Losing Doctors Touch with Technology