Dr. Mim Ari

so nice to just sit and talk to somebody.

And I still have all that knowledge that I had before.

And I still have all the things, the data that's in the computer, but it's a totally different experience.

Right now, I can see it as a tool that enables me to do more in the room with a patient.

But I don't have a sense of exactly where it will go.

Will it be able to eventually tell me what I should be doing to optimize care?

I still think that the relationships that I've built with patients and how that information is delivered...

And the shared decision-making that ultimately occurs between myself and the patient will still be there and I think still make the work exciting and fulfilling.

Yeah, I think there is.

Actually, in the piece, I talked about an article that I often show when I'm giving lectures about chronic pain.

And essentially, in the article, they asked patients who had chronic pain if their physicians were how empathetic they were.

And for the patients who rated their physician as very empathetic, they had better health outcomes.

And, you know, they were able to better manage their chronic pain.

And so I think it is absolute, you know, I think it's been shown in the literature, but I think it is also true, I hope, that having a strong relationship with my patients will ultimately benefit their health in some way.

And I

I'm sure that's hard to pinpoint exactly why, like I'm sure it's multifactorial.

Um, but I, you know, is it because then when I do make a suggestion, they're more likely to do it?

Maybe.

Um, is it because they know that if they have something they're worried about, they can come to me and I will help them figure it out.

There's a lot in primary care where we can't measure the value exactly in like life years gained.