How AI is Transforming Doctor-Patient Dynamics with Dr. Spencer Dorn, Vice Chair & Professor of Medicine at University of North Carolina

Doctors aren't "resistant to AI" because they're technophobes. They're navigating a fundamental shift in what it means to practice medicine when patients arrive having already diagnosed themselves via ChatGPT. The path forward isn't "adopt more AI tools." It's building a new operating model for clinical practice that balances ambient documentation, patient empowerment, and the irreplaceable human elements of care. In this episode, Dr. Spencer Dorn breaks down how AI is reshaping medicine: from eliminating "pajama time" for some clinicians to democratizing medical knowledge in ways that fray the profession's grand bargain with society. He explores why trust remains the currency that matters most, and what it means to be a physician when AI tools change faster than the relationships they're meant to serve. For benefits leaders and consultants, the implications are just as significant. As members increasingly turn to AI before ever engaging the healthcare system, employers have a real opportunity — and responsibility — to help them navigate that information and make better care decisions. Understanding how AI is reshaping clinical practice isn't just a healthcare story. It's a cost, strategy, and member experience story too. -------  “ The question that really motivates me most right now is what does it mean to be a physician in this new world? And even more so, what does it mean to be a human being as things are changing so quickly?  How do we keep our eyes open and make the best decisions that we can so that we don't go down the wrong paths, which inevitably we will, but hopefully we'll have the awareness to recognize we're going down the wrong path so we don't keep going and we'll have the agency and autonomy to shift gears.” – Dr. Spencer Dorn -------  Episode Timestamps: *(01:01): Dr. Spencer Dorn's journey from gastroenterology to clinical informatics *(04:31): The hidden work of medicine before, during, and after patient visits *(06:54): How AI is transforming clinical workflows *(12:12): The democratization of medical knowledge *(15:47): AI-first care and the healthcare math problem *(25:00): What it means to be a physician in an AI-powered world -------  Links: Connect with Dr. Spencer Dorn on LinkedIn Connect with Kirk McConnell on LinkedIn Learn more about Collective Health Learn more about Caspian Studios Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.