Surgical leaders urged to weigh risks, rewards of innovation with a critical eye

Editor's Note

Innovation is transforming surgical care faster than most institutions can keep pace, but leaders must distinguish between investments that advance patient care and those that add cost without meaningful benefit. That is the central message from a September 8 Harvard Medical School article featuring insights from Jon O. Wee, MD, director of robotics in thoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The article reports that the speed of technological change has shortened the distance between invention and implementation, leaving health systems struggling to decide when to adopt. According to Dr Wee, early adoption offers leaders a chance to shape products through direct feedback to companies, but the costs can be daunting. He notes decision-making often splits between innovators eager to test new tools and administrators wary of financial risks.

Dr Wee suggests risk assessment should begin with a simple question: Who benefits? Electronic health records (EHR), for instance, were expected to improve patient care but instead created more work for clinicians while primarily serving hospital operators’ billing needs. Artificial intelligence, while overhyped, may prove more balanced by supporting both clinical and operational tasks, though leaders must remain clear-eyed about its limitations as a pattern-recognition tool rather than a reasoning system.

Financially, Dr Wee stresses cost-cutting cannot solve institutional problems. Strategic investment is often required to spur growth, as seen in hospitals that committed to robotics and negotiated favorable arrangements with vendors. However, he warns against funding technology at the expense of staff. Eliminating support roles in the name of efficiency, as with EHR adoption, often backfires by overburdening physicians and disrupting workflow.

Looking ahead, the article highlights that healthcare innovation will only accelerate. Leaders must commit to continuous learning, while also cultivating collaboration across teams. Dr Wee emphasizes successful leadership hinges not just on decision-making but on engaging colleagues, aligning competing needs, and supporting others’ strengths. True progress, he says, comes when leaders can both guide and reinforce their teams.