Medicon International
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to be a gamechanger in modern medicine: Dr Madhuchanda Kar
Acclaimed doctors from India and abroad had assembled in Kolkata to participate in the two-day Medicon International conference where the clinicians exchanged ideas in the field of medical science. Dr Madhuchanda Kar, Clinical Director, Department of Oncology, Peerless Hospital & B K Roy Research Center Ltd., was a participant in the conference organized jointly by Peerless Hospital and BK Roy Foundation, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and West Bengal Chapter of Association of Physicians of India. IBNS correspondent Ayush Gupta catches up with the oncologist.
Q. What are your views on the future of medical AI (Artificial Intelligence)?
In future it will complement the doctors in improving their accuracy and save time as doctors are very busy. Thus, with the help of AI, the doctor can give more time to their patients. My student has submitted a thesis on AI in lung cancer and its algorithmic approach. We are preparing a software tool for detecting lung cancer with the help of improved AI. In different spheres of healthcare, be it radiology, oncology decision making, personalised medicine, therapeutic or diagnostic, in my idea AI is going to be a game changer.
Q. What are your views on the current situation of doctor patient relationship?
My take on the doctor-patient relationship is that as the information becomes more available to the general public, they will ask more questions which is a good sign which shows that they are actively participating in medical decision making. But as doctors, we tend to be a bit authoritative and not like too many questions, so I think it would be a challenge for us doctors and we are going to adapt.
As far as the behaviour of the patients and their families towards doctors, it is a both way traffic. The doctor has to be polite and be very sensitive. And the patient and their family must realise that it is not an easy job, as it carries human lives at risk and because of this pressure the doctor may not answer all questions asked by the patient party. In our country, in my clinical practice, I find that the patient and their family totally surrender to the goodwill of the doctor.
Q. As we are transitioning from British medicine to American medicine, how could one keep up with the sheer intensity of tests prescribed by the doctors?
According to me, we are progressing towards Indian medicine because with so much pressure with so few resources we improvise and we are innovative. No American medicine could teach us to achieve this level of accuracy with so much improvisation. Only Indian medicine could do that. Tests and parameters should be used judiciously. Each doctor adapts to the scenario. I believe that there is not one system of medicine but it’s an improvised system moulded according to the needs and resources.
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