THE COMPUTERS THAT REPLACE THEM WILL BE CHEAP:

 Various efforts are trying to lower costs by influencing medical choices, such as treatments and tests ordered, but are insufficient without better leveraging its most expensive resource: the doctor. Unless we deliver effective care with less-costly expert resources, when warranted, the U.S. health care system will fail to bend the cost curve over the long term.

The root challenge is not unlike those seen in other personal service businesses: One doctor must see one patient to achieve a desired outcome. Professional labor, which accounts for up to two-thirds of total cost, is the single most expensive component of health care.

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