Engineers, programmers, and data scientists are poised to revolutionize medicine as deeply as they previously changed and disrupted the automobile, aircraft, banking, and telecommunications industries. Emerging technologies are already recasting the roles of doctors, patients, and prospective patients in the monitoring, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and physical conditions. The scope, depth, and pace of this revolution are unprecedented. Yet our research suggests that most people remain largely unaware of how these changes will impact their lives. It’s all hidden in plain sight.
What’s being revolutionized? Health monitoring and management, points of service and medical intervention, diagnostic processes, access to best care options, and even clinical research. In other words, pretty much everything. These extraordinary changes will require limited government funding and involvement, unlike the delivery system envisioned by the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). In this context, the government’s primary contribution may be to avoid applying archaic regulatory models and obsolete centralized controls that undermine innovation.
What’s driving this revolution? Technology in general and more specifically, sensors, portable and wearable devices, the data cloud, analytics, and machine learning systems. This series will focus on these drivers and their implications, using existing devices and emerging services to illustrate their potential. Innovative companies are already leveraging new capabilities to deliver high-value, low-cost, targeted services to early-adopting clients. They are leading the way to fundamentally different paradigms of healthcare, fitness, prevention, and life management with the potential to lengthen lifespans and increase quality of life.
The implications of technological advances and the instrumenting of the human body extend beyond health and fitness to the larger society and economy. They are disrupting the healthcare, insurance, and fitness industries, challenging the government's regulatory reach, and turning traditional patients into savvy, informed consumers. New business models are evolving in response to these developments, which will bridge healthcare and fitness services. There will be winners and losers in this process, but thankfully, our investigations suggest that consumers will benefit from improved customer service, better health and fitness outcomes, and lower costs. These exciting developments are also driving our own evolving services and continued research. Stay tuned!
POSTS IN THIS SERIES
1. Technology and the future of healthcare
2. The tech behind the healthcare revolution
3. Tech to peek inside
4. Upgrading health checkups with cutting-edge tech - Part 1
5. Upgrading health checkups - Part 2
6. A tale of two industries: healthcare and fitness
7. It's in the genes