Shifts to telemedicine and changes in colorectal cancer screening have some gastroenterologists thinking about how their practices will evolve in the near future.
Here's what two GIs anticipate for the next two to three years.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for style.
Joe Feuerstein, MD. Gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston): I think the biggest change is how we are going to combine our clinical practice with telemedicine and develop a comfort with utilizing newer technologies to enhance our patients' experiences. Additionally, I think we are going to be doing a variety of different options for CRC screening and will adopt more evidence-based guidelines for screening and surveillance for colon cancer.
Brian Dooreck, MD. Gastroenterologist at Memorial Hospital Pembroke (Pembroke Pines, Fla.): Our practice will continue to work smarter, hopefully not harder, and leverage more of a position of strength against the insurance companies and other forces that fail to recognize the true cost of providing high-quality care in a dynamic and ever-evolving world.