The robot will see you now: Can medical technology be professional?

As innovative technology replaces more and more of what physicians do, the question arises whether there is any limit to the potential medical capabilities of technology at the bedside. Drug-dispensing kiosks, robotic surgery, computerized sedation devices, and other novel medical technologies bring practical advantages while also raising philosophical questions about the nature of the relationship between the patient and technology that serves as a proxy for the healthcare professional. Moreover, the shift in language from "professional" to "provider" accommodates a detrimental attitude that regards technical performance and human care to be interchangeable. This paper unpacks the meaning of professionalism from the perspective articulated by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations and examines its technical, ethical, and spiritual aspects vis-à-vis surrogate technology. A close examination of the meaning of professionalism finds that there are aspects of medical practice that are irreducibly human.