NerdMDs StackBytes #8

🎧 StackByte Episode Summary (Ep #8 – “How Much of Medicine Is Actually an Algorithm? What technologists miss when they try to systematize care.”)🎧 StackByte Episode Summary:In this episode of NerdMDs StackBytes, Dr. Adam Carewe tackles a deceptively simple question: How much of medicine is actually an algorithm? Through sharp reflection and clinical insight, he explores the structured side of medicine—where protocols and decision trees save lives—while powerfully asserting that the heart of care lies in the gray zones algorithms can’t reach. It’s a compelling call to technologists: true innovation in healthcare requires humility, respect for clinical nuance, and partnership with the humans who carry the burden of care.🔗 Read the full Substack post

🔹 00:00 – Framing the Big QuestionDr. Adam Carewe opens with a provocative inquiry: Is medicine just a set of algorithms? He lays out why this question matters now, especially for those building healthcare technologies. The episode promises to untangle what tech can and can’t replicate in medicine.

🔹 01:52 – Where Algorithms ShineDr. Carewe highlights the clinical scenarios where algorithms thrive—emergency settings, sepsis bundles, stroke codes. These tools bring life-saving structure and speed to chaotic moments.

“In emergency medicine and the ICU, algorithms bring order to chaos.”

🔹 04:31 – When the Guidelines Run OutAs the conversation moves into the real-world messiness of medicine, Dr. Carewe underscores how most patients don’t fit cleanly into protocols. This is where clinical judgment, not code, takes the lead.

“Medicine isn’t just executing a flowchart. It’s holding responsibility in uncertainty.”

🔹 07:45 – The Enduring ‘Art’ of MedicineWith historical nods to Hippocrates and Galen, Dr. Carewe reflects on the philosophical and human aspects of medicine—listening, presence, gut instinct, and the courage to act (or not) amid uncertainty.

🔹 10:18 – Why Tech Keeps Missing the PointHere, Dr. Carewe critiques the common mindset among health tech founders: seeing medicine as a system to be optimized. He warns that without understanding the emotional and ethical labor of clinicians, even the best tools will miss the mark.

“Until you’ve stood at the bedside at 3 a.m., with a crashing patient and no clear guideline, you won’t grasp the weight of what medicine requires.”

🔹 13:02 – The Real Future: Collaboration, Not ReplacementDr. Carewe concludes with a hopeful challenge: the future of healthcare isn’t in replacing doctors—it’s in building tools that amplify what humans do best. He calls for a tech-clinician partnership rooted in respect and realism.

If you’re a technologist, clinician, or anyone curious about where medicine meets innovation, this episode is essential listening. For the full essay, visit Dr. Carewe’s Substack.

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