Will we still need doctors in the future? Recent advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible to envision the tremendous potential AI has to improve health care. At the same time, it has prompted speculation that the need for certain types of doctors might be greatly reduced.
Ravi David Yarid, DO, an assistant professor of osteopathic manipulative medicine at PCOM Georgia, is currently exploring ways to incorporate AI into medical education. Part of that exercise is considering how this technology might impact the future of osteopathic medicine.
“AI is a tool that is going to bring about change,” he said. “Which direction that change goes is where people are willing to be led.”
Yarid acknowledges that generative AI has the potential to reduce the need for healthcare providers, with certain areas being particularly at risk. In 10-20 years, Yarid projects radiology, pathology, and dermatology will be radically changed. Primary care providers will be able to care for more patients. Shifts will occur in all fields.
But when that happens, he speculates, it will be because the practice of medicine has advanced to the point where the focus will be more on quality of life and illness prevention than treatment of disease.
“AI has the potential to listen to your heart and lungs and tell you all kinds of things that our ears can't even pick up,” Yarid said. “AI is going to assist in all of these areas.”
AI can help improve patient care in many ways, although it still has its limitations. One of these limitations is AI’s inability to examine a patient using palpation.
During a physical examination, healthcare providers use their hands and fingers to feel various body parts. This helps the provider evaluate organs and tissues. This hands-on approach allows providers to assess pain, detect abnormalities, and gather other information that aids in diagnosis.
“I believe palpation is the single greatest application of osteopathy that we train our students in and that should become a priority again,” Yarid said.
During medical school, doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) students receive additional training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). DOs use OMM to examine patients and determine if osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) can be used to help the patient.
“At this point, AI cannot feel somatic dysfunction in your head, in your arms, in your legs—all over,” Yarid said. “We are going to have an explosion of what osteopathy actually is inside of this AI revolution.”
Yarid believes the osteopathic focus on palpation—using the hands to diagnose injury and illness—could give DOs an advantage over allopathic doctors.
In September of 2023, Yarid outlined what he termed “The rebirth of osteopathy” during a presentation to the Educational Council on Osteopathic Principles (ECOP). The purpose of the ECOP, in part, is to discuss ideas pertaining to the teaching of osteopathic principles and practices and to present recommendations for curriculum improvements for the member institutions of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
Yarid is advocating for immediate action incorporating AI into osteopathic medical education and practice.
During medical school, Yarid sees AI being used to “supercharge” student learning through constant, evolving student assessment, continuous faculty feedback, and objective data evaluated in real-time. In addition to the academic enhancements, Yarid believes AI could be used for physical and emotional health monitoring and assistance.
As students progress into rotations and ultimately practice, AI could provide assistance integrating osteopathic principles and practice and OMM. Continuing medical education would be a seamless continuation of the learning process.
All participating osteopathic provider findings would be collected, evaluated and shared. AI could then be used to provide diagnostic assistance within an OMM context.
By embracing and incorporating AI throughout the osteopathic profession, Yarid projects DOs will have the primary advantage as medical providers of the future.
“We are poised to never need to fight for equality again,” he said. “We have data. And with AI, we scrub charts that contain all the data and finally put our money where our mouth is and say ‘Here's the actual evidence of superior patient outcomes’. If we commit to fully engage AI to enhance what we have already built, osteopathy will rise to the forefront and lead healthcare forward to a new level.”
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