Compassionate care in a digital world: A Q&A with Cathy Risdon

World Family Doctor Day is an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of family doctors and primary care teams who are providing compassionate, patient-centred care in our communities.

This year’s theme, “Compassionate Care in a Digital World,” is timely because it names a landscape with both “a lot of promise and a lot of apprehension,” says Cathy Risdon, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University.

We spoke with Risdon about what technology – especially in the age of AI – means for patients, physicians and the future of family medicine.

What does the theme “Compassionate Care in a Digital World” mean for family medicine today?

Family medicine has an important role to play – I see us as an oasis of compassion within this rapidly evolving digital terrain. I’m glad that the global family medicine community is highlighting this theme, because it pushes us to think carefully about how we use these tools, and how we preserve what matters most about our work as family doctors.

In what ways can technology support or enhance compassionate, patient‑centred care?

Compassionate, patient-centred care is rooted in relationships, and family medicine is rooted in continuity, comprehensiveness and journeying with patients over time. So, I see family medicine as the place patients can always come home to – no matter what information, advice, or recommendations they encounter online or through AI.

Many patients are turning to ChatGPT for health information, but their responses aren’t always accurate, and they’re often generated based on data that doesn’t reflect that individual’s history, values, culture, or priorities. Patients need another human who knows them to help interpret that information in context. Without that relationship, people can feel alone in a storm of digital information.

Do digital tools have a role to play in reducing administrative burden for family physicians?

We’re starting to see huge changes in what can go on in an exam room between a doctor and a patient. For example, AI scribes can listen to an encounter and generate a chart note, outline next steps, and even produce a summary that patients can review afterwards. This allows family doctors to make eye contact, listen and be fully present, rather than dividing their attention between the patient and the keyboard. I’ve heard from both patients and physicians that this is bringing new life back into the exam room.

Looking ahead, AI may help manage paperwork, organize the massive flow of information family doctors receive, and flag things we should be paying attention to, such as changes in risk or ways we can improve their health.

I’m also interested in the opportunity for AI to reduce the administrative burden for patients. Being a patient often means endless appointments, tests, travel and coordination – especially for older adults or caregivers. If AI can help streamline care into fewer, more meaningful interactions, it could free up time and energy for the things that truly improve health: connection, movement, and relationships.

Many people are skeptical about AI in healthcare. What would you say to patients and physicians who feel cautious?

I think the skepticism is really important. The data used to train AI systems has excluded many voices and experiences. Much of it reflects workplaces and systems that historically centred certain populations over others. So, when someone types symptoms into an AI tool, the response may be based on someone very unlike them.

Right now, AI tends to be more trustworthy for tasks like sorting, documenting, and organizing. But we also need to consider its broader impacts on the environment, jobs, and livelihoods. Privacy is another major concern, which is why health care organizations must be rigorous about data protection and clear policies around AI use.

AI is already unavoidable. It has reached all of us, whether we sought it out or not. The challenge now is to build a relationship with it that’s as positive as possible and mitigate its harms.

What responsibility does primary care have in helping patients make sense of health information in a digital world shaped by AI and misinformation?

In many ways, our job hasn’t changed. Family medicine has always started with the person, not the diagnosis. If someone is your patient, you’re there to support them over their lifetime and interpret their health journey in alignment with their values, preferences, family context, and aspirations. What’s new is the volume and complexity of information patients are encountering. AI introduces new pressures and variables, but it also creates an opportunity for family medicine to be even more essential as a source of trust and interpretation.

What challenges do you see in ensuring digital care remains equitable and accessible for all patients?

Equity has to be a central question every time we engage with new digital tools. We need to ask: Where did this AI come from? Whose voices shaped it? Who is missing? Privacy and security matter just as much.

Another piece of equity is simplicity. Digital care shouldn’t require expensive devices, complicated apps, or endless passwords. Ideally, tools should be intuitive and accessible, embedded in platforms people already use. Reducing the administrative burden on patients is itself a form of equity. If digital tools aren’t designed inclusively, many people will be left behind. We’re not fully there yet, but this is a critical direction for the future.

How is our department preparing learners to deliver compassionate care in increasingly digital clinical environments?

We’ve always centred relationship-based care in our teaching – helping learners think about what’s happening between themselves and the patient, not just clinically, but emotionally and contextually. The challenge now is to hold onto those foundational skills while integrating powerful new tools. We’re being thoughtful about when and how learners use AI, so it supports learning rather than shortcuts essential clinical reasoning or knowledge development.

We’re also paying close attention to privacy, data stewardship, and ensuring the tools we use align with Canadian standards. At the same time, we’re exploring educational opportunities, such as using AI to support assessment and feedback. This is an evolving space, and we’re committed to adapting thoughtfully alongside it.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Health care and medical education are at real breaking points. Demand is growing, funding is constrained, and every part of the system feels stretched. At the same time, it’s becoming clear that we can’t simply ask for more of the same.

We’re at an inflection point. Instead of trying to recreate what worked decades ago, we need to rethink how care is delivered, using new tools and approaches to meet people where they are. I don’t know exactly what that will look like yet, but I’m excited about the role family medicine will play in shaping it.