In this episode of NRC Health’s Patient No Longer podcast, we welcome back Dr. Geeta Nayyar to share her unique insights on the intersection of business, medicine, and technology.

Balancing innovation and compassion in healthcare, hosted by Ryan Donohue, thought-leader, author, and strategic advisor with NRC Health

Dr. Geeta “Dr. G” Nayyar, globally recognized chief medical officer, technologist, and best-selling author. 

Dr. G joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of healthcare from paper to digital, the impact of AI, and the importance of maintaining humanity in healthcare. Tune in to hear her thoughts on the future of healthcare. 

The role of paper in healthcare. Dr. G reflects on her experiences during the transition from paper to digital records in healthcare. She highlights the benefits and challenges of this shift, noting how it has improved analytics, communication, and telemedicine, but also led to the loss of bedside manner and the rise of physician burnout due to extensive documentation. 

“I just happened to be of that generation of physicians who went from paper to digital in our training,” she says. “So actually, in residency is when the electronic-health-record sort of implementation, mobilization, all of that happened, and in real time, I was able to see what paper could do for us, versus what digital could. And with that was the good, the bad, and the ugly that we all seem to know now, after many years. But at the time, I understood that it wasn’t just going to be about documentation and billing, but that it was going to be about analytics, communication, telemedicine.” 

AI in Healthcare. Dr. G emphasizes the importance of using AI to augment the workforce, improve efficiency, and support clinical decision-making, rather than replacing the human touch in patient care. She cautions against over-reliance on AI, especially given current technological uncertainties, like AI hallucinations.  

“I think generative AI is going to help us get there, but only if we point and shoot it at the places that really matter,” she says. “I get very nervous when I hear the technologists out there—and they love to do it. They love to say, ‘Well, we’re operating in physician shortage; we’re operating in burnout. We’ll just replace those doctors and nurses with our tech robots or tech chatbots.’ There is a place for this technology, but it is not again getting between the doctor and the patient.” 

The future of healthcare. Dr G believes that the integration of technology and a renewed focus on the doctor-patient relationship will lead to better outcomes. She encourages aspiring healthcare leaders to understand the intricacies of healthcare delivery and to be proactive in driving positive change. 

“My advice to any future rising star in healthcare is, number one, understand healthcare delivery,” she says. “Number two, put yourself on the committee that is figuring out the transformative strategies in your system. And lastly, be a forever learner—constantly learning, constantly educating yourself.” 

Listen to the full episode with Dr. G, or catch it on YouTube.