Eye contact and good desk-side manner have always been incredibly important in the plastic surgery specialty, where patients’ decisions can be heavy with emotion around the perception of their image. Even what some see as a “small touchup” like dermal fillers are huge decisions for others because it is a change in how they present themselves physically and then carry themselves emotionally.
The practice of plastic surgery is inherently human, in the most sentimental sense. But, as we are today, we can use a little help from artificial intelligence (AI) to become more human.
Plastic surgeries are still on the rise, with or without new providers
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there has been continued steady growth in both plastic surgeries and minimally invasive procedures, with many individuals now considering certain procedures as part of regular self-care. With such a shift in cultural perspectives towards plastic surgery, the specialty is positioned to experience increasing patient volumes from every generation.
However, providers should prepare accordingly without a matching increase in plastic surgeons and specialists. This includes finding ways to ensure that keeping up with administrative tasks doesn’t drive a wedge between patient-provider relationships, a huge risk for any plastics practice.
Technology, particularly AI, stands to protect those relationships, if our industry is willing to trust it.
The impact of AI will be worth the big leap
I have had several conversations with fellow practitioners and private practice owners about the general hesitancy to jump into AI technology – some older physician folks are even still weary of fully integrating EMRs, a now basic technology necessity, into their healthcare practices!
I’ll admit, at the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, that earlier in my career I, too, would have been reluctant to try such new digital tools.
And, those hesitant providers aren’t all wrong. The way many clinical support platforms have been designed and minimally evolved has inadvertently transformed healthcare visits into patients having a conversation with a screen but with a provider as an intermediary. Human face-to-face interaction is in many ways almost completely gone. Without better-tailored tools, this could be detrimental to the plastic surgery specialty, which is by nature very personal.
The desire for improved experiences of human connection is often part of the reason patients decide to move forward with certain procedures. Providers in this space must understand that need and maintain strong relationships with their patients, making them feel comfortable with their decisions.
With that purpose in mind, more technology may be the solution we’re looking for. The next level of practice management technology solutions, which integrate AI functions, is preparing to take us away from filling in blanks on a screen and get us back to truly listening to our patients.
What AI assistance looks like
Instead of slamming the breaks on the road to AI, let’s look ahead on the roadmap together. Improvements in patient engagement are already being seen through AI-assisted solutions that listen and transcribe visit notes.
Soon, AI will be even more advantageous once integrated with large language models (LLMs) built on structured data specific to a healthcare specialty, like plastic surgery, that can produce ready-to-send pre-surgical notes or prescriptions and schedule follow-ups before the patient has reached the sign-out desk.
All the while, the provider may have only needed to click a few times to start and end the assistant program in the patient’s room, able to focus completely on the patient in front of them and saving valuable time for themselves and their practice staff.
As the specialty evolves, our need for AI will grow
As just one example in our ever-evolving space, gender-affirming care can mean a long series of elective surgeries and life-altering services. These surgeries require several specialist teams to work in conjunction with one another, keeping each other apprised of the patient’s wellbeing during their latest check-up, what procedures happened when, and crucial insights that may affect the next team’s decisions.
Think of the complexities required to play chess in three dimensions versus just two. Patients receiving gender-affirming care and their many provider teams must leverage digital tools that facilitate a high level of communication with frictionless documentation and data-sharing.
This is precisely how providers can look forward to leveraging the next generation of practice management tools: easing scheduling, creating clearer documentation, and serving as a high-functioning proactive bridge of communication to patients and their other providers.
Providers and patients alike will feel the human difference AI can make
As counterintuitive as it may sound at first, AI can play an important role for practice managers and providers in building and maintaining patient relationships. For plastic surgery practices and other specialty providers, it will come down to the purpose behind the AI design and next-level functionality.
At this moment, some providers are feeling pressured to memorize every detail so they can maintain eye contact throughout a visit. Some are rushing through documentation screens so that they can swivel their chairs back around in the precious remaining minutes to really be present with the patient. These are the exact moments that providers can look forward to feeling more human again, with the help of AI.
Today’s plastic surgeons can be assured that the next level of practice management tech solves this need, with AI following the provider’s lead rather than the provider following the tech’s lead.
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About Michael Brickman, MD
Michael Brickman, MD is the Medical Director of Plastic Surgery at the healthcare software solutions company ModMed, in Boca Raton, Fla. He is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has been in private practice since 2007.