Preparing for the future of medicine: Considering the need for data-literate physicians

Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly change the landscape of medical practice and give rise to new possibilities for patient care. Today's physicians are in a unique position to lead this era of technological integration and innovation. Large amounts of patient data currently being collected will be leveraged to provide clinical insight into personalized health care on a global scale. However, there remain many barriers to wide-scale implementation of artificial intelligence tools, including our historic practices of collecting and documenting patient data, as well as the organization of our health care system. Furthermore, a lack of training has physicians underprepared to reap the full potential of these tools and safeguard against adverse consequences for patient care. Given the exciting opportunities for the use of artificial intelligence in medicine, ways to overcome associated challenges must be found.