Will the Future of Medicine Be Like Star Wars?

Dr. Darren Schulte, CEO Apixio

George Lucas’ vision

In his iconic Star Wars series, George Lucas envisioned a world in a galaxy far, far away, where, among other things, doctors were droids and bots.

In this world, a droid surgeon fitted Luke Skywalker with a bionic hand after a fight with Darth Vader, a bot midwife oversaw the delivery of Princess Leia and droids treated Luke Skywalker for hypothermia after his rescue from the icy planet of Hoth.

Time and time again, robots, rather than humans, provided healthcare.

These are not the droids you’re looking for

The bots in the Star Wars films are intelligent machines capable of both menial and complex tasks.

C-3PO can translate six million languages, and R2-D2 can fix complicated machinery to repeatedly save the day for Luke, Han Solo and the rest of the rebels.

Are intelligent machines in our future?Lucas viewed medical care as algorithmic, and therefore well within the capacity of intelligent machines. Does the world of healthcare in the Star Wars films — where bots are the new docs — mirror our own not-so-distant future of medicine?

Not quite. The sophistication of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and wearable devices moves us closer and closer to the vision that Lucas presented in Star Wars.

However, rather than replacing doctors with bots, this new reality will shift the role of the physician. As technology helps to automate precise care, it will free up healthcare providers to cultivate the coveted doctor-patient relationship.

Bots todayThe bots of today rival the intelligence of C-3PO and R2-D2. Robots build cars, deliver packages and defuse bombs. These same technologies are beginning to have a stronger presence in the world of medicine.

Surgeons regularly conduct laparoscopic surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System; using the surgical bot they can control tiny, precise movements of surgical instruments. They can even suture the delicate skin of a grape.

At UCSF Mission Bay Medical Center TUG robots navigate the hallways to deliver supplies to and from the pharmacy, kitchen, lab and stock rooms.

Aethon, the company behind the robots, designed the bot specifically for hospitals and uses built-in maps and sensors to create a semi-autonomous robot.

We need machines

The human body, while enormously complicated, can be reduced to a set of biochemical reactions and interactions, which computers can learn and use to make more precise diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.

If fed enough data, a computer can become as proficient as humans at these tasks, and soon be sophisticated enough to supplement medical specialties.

With all of these developments, are we approaching a world like that in Star Wars, where only robots deliver care?

No. Though computers may replace certain specialties, they cannot replace human connection.

But we will always need human doctorsThe medical profession will evolve. Physicians and others care providers will focus on delivering what computers cannot: guidance, counseling and advocacy to help patients in the best way possible.

In this new world of healthcare, computers will be a vital aid in care delivery, automating processes and making sense of data. Meanwhile, physicians will have more time to lay hands, comfort patients and empower individuals to take part in their own care.

With computers assisting in diagnoses and treatment plans, the physician of the future will be able to provide deeper connections with patients in ways that can have a lasting impact on lifestyle choices, behaviors and other determinants of health beyond the clinical setting.

“Remember…the Force will be with you, always.”