Fighting for the Soul of General Practice: The Algorithm Will See You Now

An argument for attentive and personal care within the bureaucracy of health care systems.

In Fighting for the Soul of General Practice, two practicing doctors share their experiences of working within the underfunded and highly bureaucratic health system in the United Kingdom. Drawing on years of experience treating a wide range of patients from all backgrounds, they show what is lost when regulation overrules relationships, standard practice eliminates discretion, and algorithms displace personal attention. While acknowledging that bureaucracy is inevitable and important, they argue for an approach to medicine that is about creating meaning for doctor and patient and that privileges connection, attention, and care within each encounter.
 

Rupal Shah is a doctor in London and associate dean for Health Education England.

Jens Foell is a doctor and academic.