The Effects of Medical Technology on Person-Centered Care in Modern Medical Practice

Abstract

Providing person-centered care has been a longstanding mission of medicine. Since Hippocrates’ writing of the Hippocratic Oath, considering the patient and their wishes first and foremost has been the common goal of practicing physicians as they distribute medical diagnoses and treatment based on the guiding documents of the profession. However, with the rapid introduction of technology in medicine in the past two decades, this mission has been overwhelmed by computer screens and impersonal models of care. This thesis involves evaluating the ways information online and electronic medical records have changed person-centered medical practice and the patient experience. In doing this research, I will be examining the ways medicine has been changed to adapt to the ever-changing healthcare world to ensure the practice is filled with caring physicians focused on person-centered practice. The return to person-centered care requires an understanding of the original practice, the existing barriers, and the future opportunities technology provides to facilitate proper communication to improve patient experience, autonomy, transparency, education, and relationship alongside their physician.