Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Participatory Medicine
Date Submitted: Apr 11, 2026
Date Accepted: May 13, 2026
Real-World Data Needs Real-World Doctors Perspective: When Automation Advances Faster Than Clinical Workflow
ABSTRACT
Abstract Healthcare is entering an era of unprecedented detection. AI-driven monitors and real-world data streams now identify clinical risks in minutes, promising a future of proactive, earlier intervention. However, building high-speed data "motorways" without "off-ramps", the clinical staffing, time, and patient education required for response creates a dangerous paradox. Earlier detection without earlier care does not improve outcomes; it simply redistributes anxiety and extends the patient’s period of uncertainty. This editorial argues that the "public as a sensor" is already signalling a systemic infrastructure gap. True safety in clinical AI isn't found in more algorithmic guardrails but in participatory co-design that ensures every digital alert has a viable human pathway to a resolution. Might we stop building high-speed roads that lead to a cliff edge of clinical unavailability and consider that while the technology is a feat of engineering, it’s our human architecture that makes it medicine.
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