Mihir Patel, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon with Indianapolis-based OrthoIndy. His practice focuses on foot and ankle care as well as sports medicine.
Here, Dr. Patel discusses the most exciting technologies and techniques in orthopedics.
Question: What technology and techniques are most exciting for you in the future?
Dr. Mihir Patel: Artificial intelligence already allows physicians to spend more time with more patients. Operationally, office tasks are again in the virtual "back office." AI is the technology that allows physicians to be physicians. AI allows everyone to have quality time with their families in the evenings after seeing as many patients as they wish without having the anxiety of incomplete tasks and charts leftover from the day. Truly revolutionary.
Q: How do you evaluate new technologies and techniques?
MP: Technology should make our lives more efficient economically. The criteria we use includes clinical benefit with peer-reviewed studies, risk reduction, price and opportunity cost. We critically analyze new technologies in many committees with in-house experts to make the most educated decision for the near-and long-term future for patients.
Q: Is your practice moving toward value-based care? How does new technology fit in, whether you're taking cases to a hospital or outpatient surgery center?
MP: Our mission statement includes providing the highest quality of care for the best value. Incorporating new technologies goes through a highly critical evaluation process. This process includes clinical, operational and financial representatives from our entire organization. Since we are a large group, we provide care in a diverse group of facilities — ASCs, a level 1 trauma center, tertiary hospitals, community hospitals and an orthopedic specialty hospital.
Learn more about the big trends in spine at the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference in Chicago, June 13-15, 2019. Click here
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