Title basically. I’m about midlife crisis age (lol) and I’ve been on computers and technology since I could walk. What is with all these doctors who are barely older than me who can barely use the Internet, don’t know how to type or what an adblocker is? I don’t feel like I can trust a doctor who is ok with malware coming in because they doesn’t run a free adblock or even DNS block. I mean wth?
It’s focus. A person can only know so many things and it takes a lot of basic science knowledge (Biology, chemistry, etc.) building upon itself over and over to learn medicine. Technology isn’t really a part of learning medicine so the entirety of be becoming a doctor kind of leaves out a lot of digital skills.
It’s the same reason most computer science majors can’t (sucessfully) do surgery.
They spent 8 years focusing completely on their field of expertise and have been in high demand once they start working.
I’m in a similar camp having been around computers and tech since I was a kid. I think people under estimate how much age can factor into your ability to learn new things. We grew up with computers essentially as they became main stream and rolled out into schools/libraries. My parents got physically assaulted by adults in school if their cursive wasn’t up to par.
So not only were they entering adulthood/adults by the time these devices became mainstream but their entire life they were trained for a different skills/mindset. Sure some of them jumped on (I randomly have an uncle who is a farmer out in rural Aus who gave us CD-ROM games as a kid). The rest had no incentive initially and how much time does any of us have to learn a new skill outside work? Then they realise it isn’t just a fad or something just for taxes and are immediately behind the curve as it rapidly progressed. Doctors still use faxes here, write handwritten notes extensively, use prescription pads and would probably use pens/pencils exclusively if practice management software weren’t so useful. Plus think of how much Windows alone as an OS has changed since 95, let alone all the office suites, web and hardware that goes along with it.
Don’t get me wrong I also catch myself thinking “shit you’d think these people would learn the fundamentals of something they rely so heavily on to make money” but also think they deserve a bit of understanding too. We got lucky we grew up alongside it.
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This raises a lot of good points. My brother went through the medical program and probably did more study in his undergraduate/post grad than id be capable of in a lifetime. The workload they do just to get their degree is insane.
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They treat you so poorly in these programs, it would be called abuse in any other field.
Maddening is right on. The fact the so much of the old guard has the “we suffered through it so now you should too” mindset as well. More than once during my brothers residency a senior doctor has attempted to throw him under the bus as well. Credit to them because it’s a solid “no thanks” from me.
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They are?
Do you have stats for this? Because all my doctors (who range from 30 to 60) are very savvy. They use apps on their phones for auto-dictation, do video calls with me, are pulling up reference material and links while we talk, etc.
During my last visit my doc pulled out a $2000 dermatology camera attached to a tablet to take color-accurate photos of skin. It was wifi connected and sent the images directly to my records.
I think we need a trustworthy study to understand this.
That sounds fantastic. The most technology I see many of them using is an audio recording device that essentially just writes the notes for them verbatim, presumably to avoid having to type on the keyboard. Is being able to touch type while talking to someone at the same time that unique of a skill?
Computer tech UX (user experience) was dumbed down to reach “everyone” (aiming at kids and giving the middle finger to anyone over 40 since the 2000s), dismissing any need for “computer literacy”. Why should doctors, or the general public, learn about adblockers when they assume everything they see on screen is “just the way it is”? Computers and phones work for what they want to do and, for the most part, that’s enough.
Perhaps a good analogy is cars: most people who own one have no fucking clue how it works and wouldn’t be able to change the headlights alone. Is it worth learning enough about the car to understand what’s going on? Depends on the person.
That’s a great point I hadn’t considered. Why would they even think to change it, that’s how it works. I wonder if I can extend that thought to other aspects of my life to see where I’m blind to that notion.
Just think about all the things you “don’t care about” or that you assume to “know what matters”, chances are that you’re blind to several details about them. Could be just about anything, from beekeeping to law to heavy industry logistics
Earlier in my Design career the focus was on the software tool and design aspects. While I sat at a computer more than 8 hours a day for 20 years, I did not know much about the hardware or operating system. People assumed because ai knew the basics of file management, that I could fix computers.
Its different now, COVID meant changing activities/hobbies. So for a while I had 3 raspberrypis, a NAS and two home built computers, all installed with Linux. And tons of random PC parts LOL. Just in the midst of downsizing and selling pieces, because I collected too much hardware.
Yeah it’s scary. Nurses too. So many that struggle with navigating the EHR and basic computer troubleshooting (have you tried turning it off and on or swapping out the batteries?). Also documenting with amazingly bad English lol. Also doctors doing dictation charting, which you can tell who’s using it by all the silly mistakes
