The Future of Health Care is Here

It’s apparent that health care has done an about-face over the past decade. With people living longer and more people having access to health care, there is no other choice but to advance and identify progressive solutions for the industry both now and a hundred years from now.

Technology has catapulted health care innovation toward advancements in patient care, preventative care, medical devices and medicine. More and more we are able to use genetics as predictive data, with molecular tests being able to tell doctors of a patient’s risk for certain diseases and therefore allowing for preventative treatment before any symptoms have occurred. Personalized healthcare is quickly becoming the standard of care as it provides the capability to specify dosages, ingredients and intake based on the need of the individual. Allergies, weight, gender and age all can be considered and used to tailor a prescription or treatment for a patient.

MD Daniel Kroft, who has a decorated background in clinical practice, biomedical research and healthcare innovation, points out how technology has the ability to lower the cost of health care, empower the patient, enable the doctor, and prevent illness rather than treat it after the fact. With that being the case, scientists and doctors are jumping on board the vessel of innovation in order to execute solutions that fit this model. Already there are platforms set up that allow patients to have virtual doctor appointments via video chat, smart phone apps and accessories are giving us inside access to information such as heart rate, blood pressure and sleeping patterns, and the technology for 3D organ printing is developing at a rapid pace. With eighteen deaths a day caused by inaccessibility to an organ transplant, this beats the Jetson’s flying car by a landslide! (organdonor.gov)

These mentioned technologies don’t even scratch the surface of the incredible advancements being made and explored in health care. The landscape is shifting in exciting and necessary ways, with a population growing by the billions and life expectancy higher than ever. We have come into the future that has for so long been the subject of fictional musings and fantastical speculation. And it’s only going to get stranger.