On the occasion of World Family Doctor Day, the “Thank You, Doctor!” campaign, in collaboration with DiarioSalud and the Ramón Tallaj Foundation, held the webinar “Humanity and Technology: How to Maintain Compassionate Care in the Digital Era,” a space for reflection on the challenges faced by modern medicine in the context of the advancement of artificial intelligence and the digitalization of healthcare services.
During the event, Dr. Ramón Tallaj, founder of SOMOS Community Care and promoter of the “Thank You, Doctor!” campaign, highlighted the value of the family physician as a close figure to patients, their families, and communities, reminding participants that medicine goes beyond diagnosing diseases and should focus on listening to, accompanying, and understanding the human being.
He noted that although tools such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and electronic health records represent significant progress, there is also a risk that digital bureaucracy may distance physicians from direct patient interaction.
In this regard, he emphasized that technology should serve to bring doctors and patients closer together, not replace empathy or human connection. “Artificial intelligence and new technology must be tools to assist physicians, not to replace the human relationship,” he added.
Dr. Tallaj stressed that the humanization of medicine must also include the well-being of healthcare professionals, warning that “we cannot speak about humanization without also speaking about the doctor. The doctor also suffers. The doctor also participates. The doctor is also a human being.”
He further warned about the impact of emotional burnout on the quality of care, stating that “an exhausted, overloaded, emotionally burned-out doctor can hardly provide fully human care,” and called for attention to healthcare workers’ well-being and for mechanisms to prevent burnout.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jacqueline Delmont, President and CEO of Delmont Medical Care, an expert in clinical efficiency and creator of the concept of “Strategic Empathy,” highlighted that the history of medicine shows that every major innovation has faced resistance before becoming an essential part of medical practice.
During her participation, Dr. Delmont recalled historical examples such as handwashing, the stethoscope, and anesthesia—tools that were once questioned but are now indispensable in healthcare.
She stated that the real challenge is not artificial intelligence itself, but how it is properly used to optimize physicians’ time and restore moments of closeness with patients.
She also warned that many technological platforms have been designed more with administrative and financial processes in mind than with improving the human experience within healthcare systems.
Dr. Delmont also addressed the technological inequalities faced by vulnerable communities, where many patients still lack adequate access to the internet, electronic devices, or digital tools that would allow them to benefit from advances in healthcare technology.
In closing, both experts agreed that artificial intelligence can become an important ally in strengthening prevention campaigns, analyzing population data, and improving healthcare efficiency, as long as the person remains at the center of care.
They also emphasized the need to strengthen medical education in areas such as empathy, communication, and humanization, to ensure that new generations of professionals integrate technology without losing emotional connection with their patients.
Those interested in watching the full webinar can access DiarioSalud’s digital platforms and social media channels. The full content is also available on their official YouTube channel.