Will Biomarkers Eventually Replace Physicians?

MedPage Today January 16, 2019
Milton Packer MD

– Milton Packer imagines the end of nonprocedural medicine as we know it

For my entire career, I have been an outspoken critic of the thoughtless use of biomarkers in the practice of medicine. Biomarkers are measures of a substance (typically in blood) or a bodily structure or function (often through an imaging study). Originally developed for making a diagnosis, they have subsequently been widely used to estimate the severity of a disease or assess the adequacy of the response to its treatment.

There are an extraordinarily large number of biomarkers, and more are developed with each passing day. Physicians routinely measure or evaluate countless biomarkers in clinical practice. Some rely on them heavily.

Today's Sponsors

Today's Sponsor