I read an article today about artificial intelligence (AI) in primary care¹ — and now I feel frustrated. Maybe writing about it will help me calm down and express what I'm thinking. (It's also a Monday, and my day in the office was super busy, so that might have something to do with my reaction, but I digress.)

The author begins with a good premise: AI-enhanced electronic health records (EHRs) could support primary care physicians. Great start. Even if you don't believe in the power of AI, anything that potentially saves us time and makes our day better is worth considering, right? The author lays a foundation of how AI can already help in the detection of diseases or complications using visual tests (chest x-rays, mammograms, retinal photos, etc.) while the things proceduralists do (cystoscopies, cardiac catheterizations, etc.) will always require a skilled human technician.

OK, so far so good, I guess. The promise of AI is heavily techy and specialist focused, so I'm waiting for the article to deliver the hook — something along the lines of “and none of that matters if your doctor can't see you, so here's how AI would help in family medicine.”