Tech Advances Put the Annual Doctor Visit on the Critical List

The Future of Everything covers the innovation and technology transforming the way we live, work and play, with monthly issues on education, money, cities and more. This month is Health, online starting Sept. 3 and in the paper on Sept. 10.

Shortly after his office closed in the early months of the pandemic, Paul Hyman, a primary care physician in Brunswick, Maine, scanned a printout of patients who were scheduled to see him in the next 30 days. Many were due for an annual physical exam, which by definition seems to require an in-person visit.