To mark World Family Doctor Day 2026, family physicians in the University of Cape Town’s Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) shared personal reflections on this year’s theme, “Compassionate Care in a Digital World.”
As technology plays a growing role in health care, the physicians considered what compassionate care means in practice, and what needs to change so that health systems stay centred on people as digital innovation expands.
The video also looks at the theme through an ethical lens. It asks how health institutions and family physicians can make sure new technologies don’t deepen existing inequalities, and how to weigh efficiency and innovation against human dignity, compassion, trust and ethical responsibility in patient care.
An environmental lens takes the conversation further, reflecting on environmental stewardship in emerging health technologies. Viewers are invited to think about how the digital transformation of health care can also support sustainability and planetary wellbeing.
Together, these reflections are a reminder that whatever tools family doctors use, the relationship between doctor and patient remains at the heart of good primary care.
▶ Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oljRJP9nZr4
