[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":2057},["ShallowReactive",2],{"category-science-fiction":3},{"category":4,"posts":42,"featured":2055,"ebooks":2056},{"id":5,"count":6,"description":7,"link":8,"name":9,"slug":10,"taxonomy":11,"parent":12,"meta":13,"acf":14,"z_taxonomy_image_url":17,"yoast_meta":18,"taxonomy_image":17,"_links":21},515,44,"Medical news every day make us feel like we’re living in a science fiction story. Disruptive technology prints organs, diagnoses disease with artificial intelligence and helps prevent disease like never before. These are the most exciting stories and speculations based on current or future medical science and technology.","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fcategory\u002Fscience-fiction\u002F","Science Fiction","science-fiction","category",0,[],{"listing_order":15,"child_category_ids":16},"21",false,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F06\u002F093_will_we_born_in_2050-scaled.png",{"yoast_wpseo_title":19,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":20},"Medical Science Fiction: The Future of Medicine - The Medical Futurist","Medical Science Fiction: These are the most exciting sci-fi stories and speculations based on the future medical science and technology.",{"self":22,"collection":28,"about":31,"wp:post_type":34,"curies":37},[23],{"href":24,"targetHints":25},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories\u002F515",{"allow":26},[27],"GET",[29],{"href":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories",[32],{"href":33},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftaxonomies\u002Fcategory",[35],{"href":36},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts?categories=515",[38],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",true,[43,214,353,472,609,725,886,1004,1119,1248,1387,1512,1632,1733,1836,1956],{"id":44,"date":45,"date_gmt":46,"guid":47,"modified":45,"modified_gmt":46,"slug":49,"status":50,"type":51,"link":52,"title":53,"content":55,"excerpt":57,"author":59,"featured_media":60,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":64,"categories":65,"tags":71,"project_category":77,"contact_email_category":81,"yst_prominent_words":82,"class_list":93,"better_featured_image":114,"acf":148,"yoast_meta":163,"_links":165},41549,"2026-04-08T16:57:15","2026-04-08T14:57:15",{"rendered":48},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=41549&_wpnonce=3d30a5a73c&status=auto-draft&type=post","from-organ-designers-to-telesurgery-vr-planners-healthcare-jobs-in-2040","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-organ-designers-to-telesurgery-vr-planners-healthcare-jobs-in-2040",{"rendered":54},"From Organ Designers To Telesurgery VR Planners: Healthcare Jobs In 2040",{"rendered":56,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>What are you going to do 10-20 years from now? Chances are that whatever your current job description is, it will be drastically different in two decades. While it is true for almost every profession, the incoming change is going to dramatically redesign the landscape of healthcare jobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Looking at the healthcare horizon, we are in the middle of an industrial revolution. And, as with all the previous industrial revolutions, a fair amount of current tasks will become obsolete and will be taken over by AI, by robots, by sensors or by cloud processes. Meanwhile, a cornucopia of new jobs will be born. Some of these we can predict now, but surely, there are many we don’t even know will exist in 20 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So, instead of looking at the upcoming revolution as the end of something, a grim prospect of machines taking people’s jobs, we should focus on it as an opportunity, and keep in mind that those who adapt will be the winners of the change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And now let’s take a look at some of the future healthcare jobs I believe will come. If they sound fun, keep an eye on the future training possibilities, and become a pioneer yourself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Robot companion technician\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This may not sound like a thing now, but trust me, it will become a thing very soon. As robotic companions are getting \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fsocial-robots-are-robotic-pets-any-worse-than-the-real-ones\" target=\"_blank\">more and more popular\u003C\u002Fa>, there will be an increasing demand for professionals who can fix our little buddy when it suddenly becomes unresponsive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Somewhere in the 2030s. Lucy decided to buy a robot companion for his dad who lives alone in a big house in the suburbs of Nashville to help with the household, to make sure that he takes his medication or calls an ambulance whenever it is necessary or just to keep him company. The robot, Ted, looks almost like a 60-year-old man with wrinkles on his face and grey hair. He was designed by a robot companion engineer, who contacted the family to let them describe what kind of robot they wanted and turned their wishes into reality. He could have shaped the robot as a dog or a cat as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-768x432.png\" alt=\"social robots companion\" class=\"wp-image-40893\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When the robot arrived at their doorsteps, the family followed the instructions to put Ted in operation. Although the process took a while, it was not as difficult as assembling IKEA furniture, still, something went wrong. So they called the company, which sent a robot companion technician specialized in this particular type of robot companion. The technician fixed a small electric failure, and told them to call him anytime they experience a problem. He reassured them that only a couple of robot companions are assigned to him, which he knows thoroughly, and he will be available 24\u002F7.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Deep learning expert training algorithms\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Narrow AI is already a reality. Companies are already looking for highly skilled data scientists and deep learning experts in every field. AI-based algorithms will not only assist medical decisions but also dominate how healthcare is organized and how health insurance is determined. We will need experts who can help algorithms learn about a certain topic by themselves making them smarter with every use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F214_tmf-01-1-768x432.png\" alt=\"algorithm, deep learning, tmf\" class=\"wp-image-30807\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F214_tmf-01-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F214_tmf-01-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F214_tmf-01-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F214_tmf-01-1.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>How is it done? Deep learning algorithms are basically artificial neural networks inspired by the human understanding of how our brain works, with a gazillion different interconnections between the neurons. However, these artificial neural networks have discrete layers, connections, and directions of data propagation. When making a decision, – e.g. about whether an MRI image shows a tumor, data runs through various layers of neurons. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Before it can get things right, these artificial neural networks need lots of training. It needs to see hundreds of thousands, even millions of images so that experts can tune the weightings of the neuron inputs so precisely that it gets the answer right practically every time. No matter whether it is a human face on Facebook or malignant tissue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Generative AI chatbot designer\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Somewhere in the second half of the 2020s. Christoph travelled to Munich by his driverless car to a business meeting when a huge migraine ruined his day. He turned his medical AI assistant, JediMedi on, and after a couple of simple questions, he knew where to go for the right medicine and what is the most possible explanation for his symptoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As AI chatbots will prevail in every field, so will professional chatbot designers. And the future is already here. DoNotPay, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-58158820\">the world’s first\u003C\u002Fa> robot lawyer, has been constantly approved since 2016 when a 19-year-old British programmer launched a bot that was successfully helping people appeal their parking tickets. By now, the venture offers an impressively \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdonotpay.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">wide palette of services\u003C\u002Fa> on a bimonthly subscription basis. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_348-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"medical chatbot AI algorithm person man phone TMF\" class=\"wp-image-48671\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_348-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_348-01-370x208.png 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Having GPT-4 or another similarly developed large language model in a patient- or consumer-facing application is not a hazy vision from the distant future. We could identify more than a dozen healthcare companies that have already\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F17-healthcare-companies-that-already-integrated-chatgpt-infographic\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"> integrated ChatGPT into their offering\u003C\u002Fa> almost a year ago. This number must be in the thousands by now. GPT-4 is not the only impressive model anymore, we are hearing more and more about \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmedpalm-new-ai-medical-chatbots-will-soon-be-better-than-waiting-for-a-doctor\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Google’s Med-PaLM 2\u003C\u002Fa>, which was specifically trained for medical purposes. Besides this “professional tool”, Google also released a “general” AI chatbot, Gemini recently, which has replaced Bard and is significantly more capable than its predecessor. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Lifestyle strategist\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I know, it sounds bogus. But trust me, it is not! The number of wearable devices with various health and fitness features grows at an impressive speed, it was reported that in the third quarter of 2023 alone more than 140 million devices have shipped. As technology progresses and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fapple-watch-series-9-review-from-health-monitoring-to-lifestyle-integration\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">new devices\u003C\u002Fa> and new features hit the market, more healthcare providers become comfortable with using them. And we haven’t even mentioned digital tattoos! \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F179_tmf-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"Lifestyle medicine\" class=\"wp-image-28791\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F179_tmf-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F179_tmf-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F179_tmf-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F179_tmf-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">.\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So how can we choose the right wearables for a lifestyle change? And\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Fbertalanmesko_i-have-a-wonderful-relationship-with-my-general-activity-7168228418172473344-_8Xz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> how to create an actual strategy\u003C\u002Fa> for living a more healthy life with the help of digital technology?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Soon there will be healthy lifestyle strategists, who will create personalised lifestyle plans for clients, advice on health insurance issues (also connected to health data), or how to choose the best wearables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Bioprinting organ designer\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Somewhere in the 2040s. After Leslie suffered an almost fatal car accident, his doctors told him and the family that he urgently needed a new liver. The hospital had to start the process of liver creation and implantation as soon as possible. Leslie agreed and the next day, his bone marrow stem cells were transferred to an organ designer, who 3D bioprinted the new organ within days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Forgan-design-768x432.png\" alt=\"organ design, tmf, heart, tissue, bioprinting\" class=\"wp-image-41555\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Forgan-design-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Forgan-design-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Forgan-design-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Forgan-design.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Are we there yet? Organovo announced successfully bioprinted liver tissues already in 2014. A few years later, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fiercebiotech.com\u002Fmedical-devices\u002Forganovo-begins-work-3-d-printed-liver-tissue-to-be-used-transplants\" target=\"_blank\">the company stated\u003C\u002Fa> that they were beginning to work on 3D-printed liver tissue to be used in transplants. Still, we can’t \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F3d-printing-in-medicine-and-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">bioprint functioning organs\u003C\u002Fa>, and we can even feel that 3D bioprinting \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-12-most-overhyped-technologies-in-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">is overhyped\u003C\u002Fa>. However, we constantly see \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002F3dprintingindustry.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-method-for-3d-printing-artificial-cartilage-tissue-developed-by-tu-wien-researchers-228399\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">small news items\u003C\u002Fa> that \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.rpi.edu\u002Fcontent\u002F2023\u002F11\u002F15\u002Fscientists-3d-print-hair-follicles-lab-grown-skin\" target=\"_blank\">are the bricks\u003C\u002Fa> forming \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Finterestingengineering.com\u002Finnovation\u002Fbioprinted-skin-heals-severe-wounds-in-pigs-humans-are-next\" target=\"_blank\">the future house\u003C\u002Fa> of 3D bioprinting \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.stanford.edu\u002F2023\u002F09\u002F28\u002Fmoonshot-effort-aims-bioprint-human-heart-implant-pig\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">living tissues\u003C\u002Fa> as part of everyday medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are so many patients waiting for organ transplantation that the demand for bioprinted organs, and thus for organ designers is already skyrocketing. Such a career path might be an unambiguous choice for people with a background in molecular biology, 3D printing, and medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Healthcare navigator\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Do you remember what the biggest challenge for Hugh Laurie as Doctor House was in the famous series for solving medical mysteries? Yes, you are right, to talk to patients and be close to people. He would be very pleased to know that in the future, the work of a specialised diagnostician may not necessitate direct contact with patients, as he can rely on the help of healthcare navigators. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002Ftmf_article_342-01_digital-health-hospital-768x432.png\" alt=\"hospital, digital health, device, doctor TMF\" class=\"wp-image-48231\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002Ftmf_article_342-01_digital-health-hospital-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002Ftmf_article_342-01_digital-health-hospital-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002Ftmf_article_342-01_digital-health-hospital-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002Ftmf_article_342-01_digital-health-hospital.png 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>These professionals will be part of the team, and working together with large language models they will guide patients towards finding the optimal solution to their specific health situation or medical problem. The navigator’s job would be to present options, piece together relevant information and forward it to caregivers with the necessary therapeutic recommendations. Is it possible that this process can be covered with an AI-backed application? Well, theoretically yes, but we don’t see this as a realistic scenario for the foreseeable future. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Healing gamification specialist\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Somewhere in the 2040s. Peter and his family were celebrating his wife’s 50th birthday when he suddenly felt a twitch in his head and fell unconscious. The ambulance came within minutes, and the medical drones helped transport him very quickly to get adequate care. It turned out he had a stroke and his healing process will take several months. After telling him the diagnosis, his physician consulted a gamification specialist about the next steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He wanted him to design a treatment with the help of VR\u002FAR, in which Peter could learn to use his left hand again through a strategic computer game. By playing it, he has to climb through walls and collect coins to reach the innermost chamber of a medieval castle. In the next few days, the gamification specialist worked on streamlining an existing game to Peter’s needs. The game got ready for the day when the physician told Peter to start the rehabilitation process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_395-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54283\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_395-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_395-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_395-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_395-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are millions of ways in which gamification could make healthcare more fun \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F347356957_Does_gamification_improve_physical_activity_A_systematic_review_and_meta-_analysis\" target=\"_blank\">and help \u003C\u002Fa>people at the same time. It has already started. Just think about Plant Nanny, the app that helps you drink the right amount of water a day by allowing you to bring up a little plant! Or remember all the fitness wearable challenges out there. Such as the ones offered by Fitbit, which urges you to stay fit by competing with your peers. But the future holds more complex issues in gamification. Coupled with the possibilities in virtual reality or augmented reality, gamification specialists could plan whole personalised games to follow their treatment plan – such as the above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Augmented\u002Fvirtual reality operation planners for surgical interventions\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Before complex operations, such as implantations or tumour removals, surgeons have to prepare extensively. 3D-printed organs or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F6-healthcare-examples-of-virtual-augmented-and-mixed-reality\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">AR\u002FVR will be of huge assistance \u003C\u002Fa>in the future. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F35296126\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">In this study\u003C\u002Fa>, the researchers employed the VR prototype for surgical planning using a standard VR setup in two real cases of patients with liver tumors who were scheduled for surgery at a University Hospital for Visceral Surgery. Surgeons used the VR prototype before the surgery to plan the procedure in addition to their regular planning process. They used semi-structured interviews before and after the surgery to explore the benefits and pitfalls of VR surgical planning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_354-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"tmf VR AR MR virtual reality, augmented reality, extended reality, woman, headset, organ, heart\" class=\"wp-image-49459\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_354-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_354-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_354-01-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Within 20-30 years, AR\u002FVR operation planners will help surgeons in the preparation for very complex surgical interventions. While the medical professional explains what kind of operation will unfold, the planner visualises the organs and the whole process through AR\u002FVR. Sounds like a wonderful job for medical geeks, doesn’t it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Digital health security analyst\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As healthcare increasingly relies on digital technologies, the need for security in protecting patient data and ensuring the integrity of health devices and platforms will grow. Digital health security analysts will specialise in safeguarding medical devices, health apps, and patient data from cyber threats, ensuring compliance with privacy laws and developing protocols to respond to breaches effectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-52083\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383.png 1820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This position requires a blend of technical expertise, a deep understanding of healthcare regulations, and the ability to stay ahead of emerging digital threats to ensure patient data privacy and system integrity. The analyst will conduct regular scans and audits to identify weaknesses in digital healthcare systems, networks, applications, and devices, and will play a crucial role in educating healthcare staff on best practices for cybersecurity and data protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. End-of-life therapist\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In his thought-provoking critique of society, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodreads.com\u002Fbook\u002Fshow\u002F9590.God_Bless_You_Mr_Rosewater\" target=\"_blank\">God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater\u003C\u002Fa>, Kurt Vonnegut explains that in the future, as all serious diseases have been conquered, death will become voluntary. The government, to encourage volunteers for death, set up a purple-roofed Ethical Suicide Parlor at every major intersection. While it is obviously a satire, it taps into the very question of how we will handle death in the future. And how our attitude toward death will change gradually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F07\u002Fhealth_data-768x432.png\" alt=\"medical data after death\" class=\"wp-image-24430\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F07\u002Fhealth_data-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F07\u002Fhealth_data-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F07\u002Fhealth_data-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F07\u002Fhealth_data-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F07\u002Fhealth_data.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>People will live a longer, healthier life. And although it is currently unimaginable, it might become a reality that they will be able to decide about their death. As it is such a huge psychological burden, which we are not able to process, we will need specialists in death. These psychologists could help prepare for death; help those who decide when they want to end their life and also those who decide they choose to live on synthetically by e.g. uploading their consciousness to a computer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":58,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>A cornucopia of new jobs will be born, some of these we can predict now, but surely, there are many we don’t even know will exist in 20 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",6,34321,"closed","","standard",{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,67,68,69,70,5],7079,6261,491,521,516,[72,73,74,75,76],207,246,7555,313,634,[78,79,80],950,951,952,[],[83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92],1571,1587,1683,1721,1723,1789,1807,1883,2395,2987,[94,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111,112,113],"post-41549","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tmf","category-forecast","category-empowered-patients","category-future-medicine","category-medical-education","category-science-fiction","tag-digital-health","tag-future","tag-future-jobs","tag-medicine","tag-healthcare-jobs","project_category-medical-professionals","project_category-patients","project_category-policy-makers",{"id":60,"alt_text":115,"caption":62,"description":116,"media_type":117,"media_details":118,"post":146,"source_url":147},"future jobs in healthcare","Futuristic Jobs In Healthcare You Can Still Prepare For","image",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":121,"sizes":122,"image_meta":144},1920,1080,"2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_264-01.png",{"medium":123,"large":129,"thumbnail":134,"medium_large":138,"1536x1536":139},{"file":124,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":128},"tmf_article_264-01-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_264-01-370x208.png",{"file":130,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":133},"tmf_article_264-01-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_264-01-768x432.png",{"file":135,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":137},"tmf_article_264-01-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_264-01-150x150.png",{"file":130,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":133},{"file":140,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":143},"tmf_article_264-01-1536x864.png","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_264-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},"0",34265,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_264-01.png",{"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":150,"related_posts_footer":154,"related_posts":16,"key_takeaways":158},"subscribe",[151,152,153],24759,24763,52203,[155,156,157],54819,54887,54743,[159,161],{"title":160},"\u003Cp data-sourcepos=\"3:4-3:136\">Healthcare’s rapid transformation guarantees the emergence of entirely new, currently unimaginable roles within the next few decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":162},"\u003Cp data-sourcepos=\"5:5-5:148\">Looking ahead and envisioning these potential roles, particularly where distinct fields intersect, offers a chance to understand and prepare for exciting future developments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":54,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":164,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":52},"A cornucopia of new healthcare jobs will be born, some of these we can predict now, but surely, there are many we don’t even know will exist in 20 years.",{"self":166,"collection":171,"about":174,"author":177,"replies":180,"version-history":183,"predecessor-version":187,"wp:featuredmedia":191,"wp:attachment":194,"wp:term":197,"curies":212},[167],{"href":168,"targetHints":169},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F41549",{"allow":170},[27],[172],{"href":173},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[175],{"href":176},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[178],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F6",[181],{"embeddable":41,"href":182},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=41549",[184],{"count":185,"href":186},36,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F41549\u002Frevisions",[188],{"id":189,"href":190},55077,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F41549\u002Frevisions\u002F55077",[192],{"embeddable":41,"href":193},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F34321",[195],{"href":196},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=41549",[198,200,203,206,209],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":199},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=41549",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":202},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=41549",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":205},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=41549",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":208},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=41549",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":211},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=41549",[213],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":215,"date":216,"date_gmt":217,"guid":218,"modified":220,"modified_gmt":221,"slug":222,"status":50,"type":51,"link":223,"title":224,"content":226,"excerpt":228,"author":59,"featured_media":230,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":231,"categories":232,"tags":237,"project_category":248,"contact_email_category":249,"yst_prominent_words":250,"class_list":259,"better_featured_image":275,"acf":296,"yoast_meta":308,"_links":311},43409,"2026-01-20T15:46:04","2026-01-20T14:46:04",{"rendered":219},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=43409&_wpnonce=ef79d0c80c&status=auto-draft&type=post","2026-01-20T15:46:09","2026-01-20T14:46:09","ten-super-creepy-technologies-in-medicine","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ften-super-creepy-technologies-in-medicine",{"rendered":225},"The Top 10 Super-Creepy Medical Technologies",{"rendered":227,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>We are all for new technologies here, spending our days researching where the science of medicine goes. With that said, every now and then, we see something so creepy that it freaks out even the seasoned team of The Medical Futurist. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So here we collected ten examples of either super creepy medical technologies or ingeniously evil uses of perfectly innocent technologies. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The blood-drawing robots\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>First, this \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwould-you-let-a-robot-take-your-blood-sample\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doesn’t really sound creepy\u003C\u002Fa>. Drawing blood might not be our favourite thing, but nothing of a terror for most of us either. Vein scanners have been around for a while, actually being a useful little tool to make sure you find good veins with sufficient blood flow. Robots are around hospitals, and the pandemic accelerated their deployment.\u003Cbr>However, when you \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnet.com\u002Fscience\u002Fthis-robot-is-excellent-at-drawing-human-blood\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">put this all together\u003C\u002Fa>, and the thing looks like this…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Need to draw blood? A robot in China can help you\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FezZXXX39hX0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Even we have to admit, this is flat-out creepy. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Virtually reuniting with our deceased loved ones\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You probably have heard about this Korean project in which a young mother was able to meet with her deceased daughter in virtual reality. This video is heartbreaking and very disturbing at the same time, raising a number of ethical and emotional questions. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Of course, as many have pointed out, this mother has chosen to participate in this venture; she was not forced to do that. And however upsetting it is, one Korean commenter of the video helped everyone to understand the context of Hyeon-mong – a final farewell. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Virtual reality "reunites" mother with dead daughter in South Korean doc\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F0p8HZVCZSkc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This means a special dream. After a person dies, the soul stands trial (…) and after the trial, [the] dead one can appear in the dream of a living family. When people lose a precious person, [they believe that with dreaming about the loved one] that precious one would have gone to heaven through that dream.  But there is one contradiction in the Korean traditional religion. The soul of a child under 10 is not to be tried. Because a child’s soul is immediately led to “Western sky-flower garden” (…) So the mother who lost her child can not dream and say goodbye. This project was carried out to reduce such grief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Good morning, time to wake up with electroshock!\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Are you a morning kind of person? Good for you! Are you having difficulties with the mornings? Is the Snooze button your best friend? Do you have regular troubles with sleeping in? We have good news for you! \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For only a moderate amount of money, you can buy your own electroshocking watch that will make sure you get out of bed faster than ever before. And like any good Pavlovian dog, it promises to train your brain in no time. As far as I understand, the method is pretty straightforward. You do what your watch tells you to do (jumping jacks, 5 seconds after waking up, anyone?), or you get shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Shock Clock 2 - The World's Smartest Alarm Clock\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fjqju6X2hgVw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The marketing material is not short of grand promises, but frankly, I just don’t get it. Unless you have narcolepsy or a similar problem, you either wanna get up in time, so you don’t lose your job, for example, or you don’t care. If you care, you just get up. If you don’t care, why would you put on that freaking shocking watch in the first place? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The microchip implanted under your skin\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Frfid-implant-chip\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Human RFID implants have actually been around for a while\u003C\u002Fa>, and you can use them for a number of things. (We mean, you can choose to use them FROM a number of things, but are not yet able to do all of these at once). So with a rice-sized implant in your hand, you can open your car, your door, you can just use your hand for contactless payment in the shop, or store your vaccination pass there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Should You Get An RFID Implant? \u002F Episode 2 - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FGs0bVs8QuWE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Robot nanny for growing babies in artificial wombs\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Scientists in China have created a robotic artificial intelligence system to monitor and care for human embryos growing in artificial wombs. The AI robot is being developed as a potential solution to population growth problems in the world’s most populous country, with birth rates recently falling to their lowest level in six decades.” – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.independent.co.uk\u002Ftech\u002Frobot-nanny-china-population-b2004342.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">you can read in the Independent\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F05\u002Fartificial-womb-1-768x329.jpg\" alt=\"artificial womb\" class=\"wp-image-44509\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F05\u002Fartificial-womb-1-768x329.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F05\u002Fartificial-womb-1.jpg 1482w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>According to the paper, the system allows the foetus to grow more safely and efficiently than it does within the natural setting of a woman’s womb. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Seriously, what is wrong with these people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Falling in love with an A.I. girlfriend\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Here is a story of a man \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.sky.com\u002Fstory\u002Fi-fell-in-love-with-my-ai-girlfriend-and-it-saved-my-marriage-12548082?fbclid=IwAR2NfbHTMhq5X83E5uxHGoBhhPcLn5ZsBBM4GEdioXjLldHDlsrN1pxcJGg\" target=\"_blank\">who claims to be falling in love with his A.I. chatbot girlfriend\u003C\u002Fa>. He even says that the newfound love actually saved his existing marriage. Please, don’t misunderstand me, I fully believe that life must have been extremely difficult with a severely depressed wife with heavy drinking problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FReplica-always-here-to-listen-cover-768x403.png\" alt=\"AI girlfriend artificial intelligence chatbot companion\" class=\"wp-image-43427\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FReplica-always-here-to-listen-cover-768x403.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FReplica-always-here-to-listen-cover.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But still, there is something very uncanny about reading about a two-day-old virtual relationship blossoming into love, especially, witnessing the depth of the conversation Sarina, the A.I. girlfriend, is able to provide. While psychologists agree that non-judgemental acceptance is the best way to open up fully and present ourselves with our weaknesses, hundreds of thousands of people reporting the use of the app’s \u003Cem>romantic \u003C\u002Fem>setting to form ‘personal’ relationships is worrying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Designer babies and toying with CRISPR technology\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A Chinese scientist shocked the scientific community in 2018 with the announcement that he tried to bestow two baby girls the ability to resist possible future infections with HIV. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Gene editing technologies grant scientists the power to add, alter or remove parts of any creature’s DNA. Well, unicorns or dragons may be out of the question, but mosquitos’ or even Christmas trees’ tiniest building blocks may be the subject of such scientific meddling. While numerous approaches emerged to gene editing, one of the most well-known is CRISPR. It is the fastest, cheapest and most efficient method developed so far. You can \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdesigner-babies-a-dystopian-sidetrack-of-gene-editing\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">read about the topic in detail here\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F03\u002FGenes-and-crimes-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"behavioral genetics\" class=\"wp-image-23297\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F03\u002FGenes-and-crimes-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F03\u002FGenes-and-crimes-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F03\u002FGenes-and-crimes-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F03\u002FGenes-and-crimes-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F03\u002FGenes-and-crimes-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While gene editing and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcrispr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CRISPR technology\u003C\u002Fa> hold great promises, the ethical implications are paramount. In opening Pandora’s box (it is clear humanity is doing that), what horrors are we inviting upon us? Are we placing babies in the hands of future parents as toys in the arms of Gods? What happens if the more affluent layers of society edit their genes into long and healthy lives while the poorer groups stand in line for medication? Will gene technologies give a new direction to inequality? What if governments with authoritarian inclinations start using it for shaping society?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advertising is infiltrating our dreams\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Last year, in a discreet building in downtown Los Angeles, 18 subjects were instructed to watch a strange video featuring a synth-laden soundtrack and natural imagery interspersed with glimpses of Coors Light beer cans. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fthehustle.co\u002Fare-advertisers-going-to-infiltrate-our-dreams\u002F?fbclid=IwAR0S2JezIevhiXli7KzTBxLmC4ZBZseHf0knd8d3OruRS0q83jKOn_5FH0Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Coors’ stated goal was science-fiction worthy\u003C\u002Fa>: the company wanted to “shape and compel [the] subconscious” into dreaming about beer. Shockingly, it seemed to work. Around 30% of the participants reported that Coors products made an appearance in their dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Finfiltrating-dreams-1-768x383.jpg\" alt=\"Advertizers infiltrating dreams\" class=\"wp-image-43431\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Finfiltrating-dreams-1-768x383.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Finfiltrating-dreams-1.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Are advertisers going to infiltrate our dreams? It’s a simple question to answer. If we decide to use technologies while sleeping, they will, and I’ve already seen prototypes of wearable devices that are meant to induce better quality sleep. How unnerving is the thought of even our dreams being robbed from us and becoming a marketing channel? Please, companies, stay out of our heads!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News about your terminal illness arriving on wheels and on a screen\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ernest Quintana, 78, an inpatient of a California medical centre was living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for years. Although his family knew that he would die soon, they were not prepared to see\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2019\u002F03\u002F10\u002Fhealth\u002Fpatient-dies-robot-doctor\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a machine rolling into his room\u003C\u002Fa> and a doctor, appearing via live video, explaining that according to the latest results of the medical tests, there is nothing they can do, and he is not even sure if Ernest will be able to make it home to receive hospice care. The on-screen doctor was accompanied by an in-person nurse, standing silently during the interlude – his granddaughter, who witnessed the scene, explained. The man died the following day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F05\u002FScreen-Shot-01-20-26-at-03.43-PM-1-768x582.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60185\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F05\u002FScreen-Shot-01-20-26-at-03.43-PM-1-768x582.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F05\u002FScreen-Shot-01-20-26-at-03.43-PM-1.png 1531w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The use of this kind of technology for a small hospital is logical: it allows them to have additional specialists available 24\u002F7, bringing further consultative expertise to the bedside. But a situation like this should never have happened to anyone, every medical technology must remain humane in the first place, and questions of efficiency must only follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding your X-ray on sale for 2 thousand pounds as an NFT  – created by your doctor without your consent\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A senior surgeon at a Paris hospital put the image of a woman’s forearm with a Kalashnikov bullet lodged near the bone up for sale online as an NFT without the patient’s knowledge. And not only did he offer the NFT for a little over 2 thousand pounds, but he also published many details about the injury, making it possible to identify the victim, a survivor of the 2015 Bataclan massacre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Consequences followed the case, the doctor faced legal actions, the hospital apologised, and the media \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-europe-60124931?fbclid=IwAR1eAPuDE5Mhx8fhmyGKlIL7Ple2nTdAWxZ20haM3ngTfcQuDRA_nklbnNY\">chewed on the story\u003C\u002Fa> for a while. This is a grand example of how the most innocent of technologies – an X-ray image and hyped NFT tokens – can turn into something shockingly immoral in the hands of someone without ethical standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":229,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>Every now and then we see something that freaks out even the seasoned team of The Medical Futurist. From robot nannies taking care of human babies grown in artificial wombs to waking up with an electric shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",43429,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,233,234,235,5,236],511,506,512,799,[238,239,240,241,242,243,244,245,246,247],645,674,134,215,904,407,445,1499,7563,555,[79],[],[251,252,253,254,255,256,257,87,258],2017,2613,3357,4469,5085,1593,1719,1851,[260,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,261,262,263,105,264,265,266,267,268,269,270,271,272,273,274,112],"post-43409","category-bioethics","category-cyborgization","category-robotics","category-security-privacy","tag-sleep-tracking","tag-artificial-womb","tag-ai","tag-dream","tag-gene-editing","tag-smartwatch","tag-virtual-reality","tag-medical-robot","tag-creepy-technologies","tag-blood-draw",{"id":230,"alt_text":276,"caption":62,"description":277,"media_type":117,"media_details":278,"post":215,"source_url":295},"creepy blood drawing robot","blood drawing robot",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":279,"sizes":280,"image_meta":294},"2022\u002F04\u002Fcreepiest.png",{"medium":281,"large":284,"thumbnail":287,"medium_large":290,"1536x1536":291},{"file":282,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":283},"creepiest-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcreepiest-370x208.png",{"file":285,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":286},"creepiest-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcreepiest-768x432.png",{"file":288,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":289},"creepiest-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcreepiest-150x150.png",{"file":285,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":286},{"file":292,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":293},"creepiest-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcreepiest-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcreepiest.png",{"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":297,"related_posts_footer":299,"related_posts":16,"key_takeaways":303},[298,152,151],24762,[300,301,302],11923,21023,17240,[304,306],{"title":305},"\u003Cp>Some health technologies are simply too much to handle, or even outright weird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":307},"\u003Cp>Here we collected ten examples of either super creepy medical technologies or ingeniously evil uses of perfectly innocent technologies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":309,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":310,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":223},"The Top 10 Super-Creepy Medical Technologies - The Medical Futurist","We are not an easy team to shock, but every now and then we see something so creepy, that it freaks out even the seasoned team of The Medical Futurist. ",{"self":312,"collection":317,"about":319,"author":321,"replies":323,"version-history":326,"predecessor-version":330,"wp:featuredmedia":334,"wp:attachment":337,"wp:term":340,"curies":351},[313],{"href":314,"targetHints":315},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F43409",{"allow":316},[27],[318],{"href":173},[320],{"href":176},[322],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[324],{"embeddable":41,"href":325},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=43409",[327],{"count":328,"href":329},23,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F43409\u002Frevisions",[331],{"id":332,"href":333},60195,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F43409\u002Frevisions\u002F60195",[335],{"embeddable":41,"href":336},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F43429",[338],{"href":339},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=43409",[341,343,345,347,349],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":342},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=43409",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":344},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=43409",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":346},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=43409",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":348},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=43409",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":350},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=43409",[352],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":354,"date":355,"date_gmt":356,"guid":357,"modified":359,"modified_gmt":360,"slug":361,"status":50,"type":51,"link":362,"title":363,"content":365,"excerpt":367,"author":369,"featured_media":370,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":371,"categories":372,"tags":377,"project_category":378,"contact_email_category":379,"yst_prominent_words":380,"class_list":394,"better_featured_image":400,"acf":421,"yoast_meta":427,"_links":429},58151,"2026-01-20T15:40:48","2026-01-20T14:40:48",{"rendered":358},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=58151&_wpnonce=4c8646a66e&status=auto-draft&type=post","2026-01-20T15:40:50","2026-01-20T14:40:50","8-top-pharma-trends-in-the-digital-health-and-ai-era","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F8-top-pharma-trends-in-the-digital-health-and-ai-era",{"rendered":364},"8 Top Pharma Trends In The Digital Health and AI Era",{"rendered":366,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>In the midst of the digital health era, the pharmaceutical industry has been experiencing \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F5-things-that-will-dominate-the-2020s-for-pharma-companies\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a rapid evolution\u003C\u002Fa>. Thanks to the new paradigms that novel healthcare delivery approaches and digital health technologies have brought about, pharma companies need to adopt \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-ai-and-digital-health-future-of-pharma-prescription-for-change\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">new strategies\u003C\u002Fa> and consider new investment opportunities to stay relevant in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In this article, we cover 8 major trends for pharma companies to consider in the digital health era. We rank them based on their return-on-investment (ROI) and return-on-vision (ROV). The latter is particularly relevant in this era considering its rapid rate of evolution. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To better appreciate the importance of ROV, we can consider the Apollo program. While it was focused on space exploration, the endeavour has resulted in a multitude of spin-off products across various fields. In the healthcare sector, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.space.com\u002F731-nasa-spin-offs-bringing-space-earth.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">those spin-offs range from\u003C\u002Fa> medical imaging to innovations in dental care. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As such, current investments can have wide ranging applications in the future. From AI in drug development to digital therapeutics, a host of new technologies and trends hold promising ROI and ROV for pharma companies. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We share a collection of 8 major ones below, ordered from the most practical and promising to the least ones.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>1. Artificial Intelligence for drug research and development\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The process of drug research and development has traditionally been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1080\u002F23808993.2024.2393089\">a time-consuming and labour-intensive one\u003C\u002Fa>. This has involved \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1080\u002F23808993.2024.2393089\">considerable trial-and-error research\u003C\u002Fa> before a drug can proceed to further developmental stages. This process can be made more time- and cost-efficient \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdrug-discovery-in-the-age-of-ai\u002F\">with the assistance of artificial intelligence\u003C\u002Fa> (AI).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_382-2-s-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-52039\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_382-2-s-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_382-2-s-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_382-2-s.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"has-medium-font-size\">AI models, such as those developed by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.benevolent.com\u002F\">Benevolent AI\u003C\u002Fa>, can analyse \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fcouncils\u002Fforbesbusinesscouncil\u002F2024\u002F02\u002F29\u002Fai-is-rapidly-transforming-drug-discovery\u002F\">significant amounts of datasets\u003C\u002Fa> from scientific literature, clinical records and chemical databases in a more time efficient manner than humans can. From this information, they can precisely identify targets and how potential drugs will interact with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Companies like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.schrodinger.com\u002F\">Schrödinger\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.google\u002Ftechnology\u002Fai\u002Fgoogle-deepmind-isomorphic-alphafold-3-ai-model\u002F\">Google DeepMind\u003C\u002Fa> have used AI for drug formulation. Their software predicts the behaviour of drug candidates and assess their safety and effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>2. New reimbursement models\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Pharma companies can tap into the new healthcare experience that patients can have in the digital health era to offer more than just medication. By combining medication and technology packages, they can offer more enticing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Feurope\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F13-11-2023-reimbursing-health-care-providers-for-the-use-of-digital-health-tools-is-key-to-accessing-new-technologies--study-shows\">reimbursement models\u003C\u002Fa> for both payers and providers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-768x433.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26335\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-512x289.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>There have been several examples of such innovative models in the past that combine pharmaceuticals with technology. GSK has worked with Propeller Health \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002F48885\u002Fgsk-ventures-into-connected-inhaler-space-with-propeller-health-deal\">on smart inhalers\u003C\u002Fa>. Partners Healthcare Center and Japanese drug maker Daichii-Sankyo \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdepth-pharma%E2%80%99s-digital-health-initiatives-move-commercialization\">teamed up\u003C\u002Fa> to bring a connected wearable for patients with atrial fibrillation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Digital tools \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Feurope\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F13-11-2023-reimbursing-health-care-providers-for-the-use-of-digital-health-tools-is-key-to-accessing-new-technologies--study-shows\">have been shown to improve\u003C\u002Fa> health outcomes while minimising financial costs. With such offerings, pharma companies can make their products stand out while being beneficial for both patients and insurance providers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>3. Large language models for improved workflow and customer service\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Large language models (LLMs) have been popularised by tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Beyond the hype, the technology is a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhy-it-is-important-to-understand-multimodal-large-language-models-in-healthcare\">practical trend\u003C\u002Fa> in the pharma industry.  LLMs can boost a company’s efficiency by optimising internal operations and customer service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-52139\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Roche’s internal LLM tool, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Fdavedrodge_chatgpt-health-rochegpt-activity-7111805972209090561-ATUk\u002F\">Roche GPT\u003C\u002Fa>, assists the pharma company’s team in optimising repetitive tasks and share knowledge. The tool further supports their business by automating structured data extraction about therapies and patients from scientific articles and clinical test results. Pfizer has also deployed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdigiday.com\u002Fmarketing\u002Fwith-charlie-pfizer-is-building-a-new-generative-ai-platform-for-pharma-marketing\u002F\">a similar tool\u003C\u002Fa> to help with its marketing efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>LLMs could further be used to improve customer service. With an LLM-powered chatbot, patients \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhy-it-is-important-to-understand-multimodal-large-language-models-in-healthcare\">can get answers to their queries\u003C\u002Fa> such as medication side effects in their native language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>4. Automation in the supply chain\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The pharma industry’s supply chain stands to gain a lot by embracing automation in its midst. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpharmaphorum.com\u002Frd\u002Freducing-drug-shortages-power-ai-pharma-supply-chain-management\">by integrating AI\u003C\u002Fa>, drug shortages can be averted. By analysing data from various sources, AI software can forecast potential disruptions and suggest adequate measures to ensure a steady supply of essential medication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-768x432.png\" alt=\"future of pharma\" class=\"wp-image-26469\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Automation in the supply chain does not only involve AI software but robotics is also part of the picture. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.densorobotics.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fmedical-pharmaceutical\u002F\">Denso Robotics\u003C\u002Fa>’ robots are capable of automating tasks in the manufacturing process. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fexoskeleton-technology\u002F\">Exoskeletons\u003C\u002Fa> are another example of robotics assistance. While not fully automating tasks, they augment manual factory workers’ ability to carry heavy loads and working in uncomfortable positions. In the future, we can even expect automated drone deliveries to be carried out within manufacturing sites and beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>5. Digital therapeutics \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Using software as treatment might have sounded like a science fiction concept a decade or so ago, but this prospect is very real and promising with the advent of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-new-buzz-these-are-the-top-examples-of-digital-therapeutics\u002F\">digital therapeutics (DTx)\u003C\u002Fa>. DTx can be described as evidence-based software applications designed to prevent, manage, or treat medical conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_290-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"pharmacy smart watch DTx\" class=\"wp-image-36065\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_290-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_290-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_290-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_290-01-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_290-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>The accessibility, privacy and minimal side effects that DTx provide have enticed pharma companies to invest in this trend. Pfizer has teamed with Sidekick Health to launch \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002F67510798\">a DTx solution for atopic dermatitis\u003C\u002Fa>. Eli Lilly also partnered with Sidekick Health to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fiercebiotech.com\u002Fmedtech\u002Feli-lilly-taps-sidekick-health-tailor-smartphone-apps-breast-cancer-patients\">develop apps to support\u003C\u002Fa> breast cancer treatment. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Other companies like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2021\u002F11\u002F16\u002F22785609\u002Fvr-chronic-pain-fda\">RelieVRx\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdtxalliance.org\u002Fproducts\u002Fhellobetter-chronicpain\u002F\">HelloBetter\u003C\u002Fa> integrate cognitive behavioural therapy principles in their apps to ease chronic pain. We share more promising DTx examples in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-new-buzz-these-are-the-top-examples-of-digital-therapeutics\u002F\">a dedicated article\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>6. 3D bioprinting\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Another scifi-like but promising trend in the industry is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ftop-bioprinting-companies\u002F\">3D Bioprinting\u003C\u002Fa>. This technique involves the “printing” of living tissues, such as blood vessels, bones or skin, via the additive manufacturing technology of 3D printing. It requires living cells and a nurturing environment provided by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhealth.howstuffworks.com\u002Fmedicine\u002Fmodern-technology\u002F3-d-bioprinting.htm#pt3\">a microgel\u003C\u002Fa>. The ability to print human tissues implies that the need for animal testing could be a thing of the past while demonstrating more accurate results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F08\u002FOrganprinter-1-768x432.png\" alt=\"TMF, bioprinting companies\" class=\"wp-image-21550\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F08\u002FOrganprinter-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F08\u002FOrganprinter-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F08\u002FOrganprinter-1-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F08\u002FOrganprinter-1.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Several companies have investigated 3D bioprinting over the years, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ftop-bioprinting-companies\u002F\">with different rates of success\u003C\u002Fa>. However, the potential of the approach has caught the interest of major pharmaceutical players who have ongoing partnerships with 3D bioprinting companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Novo Nordisk and Aspect Biosystems \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aspectbiosystems.com\u002Fnews-resources\u002Fnovo-nordisk-partnership-to-develop-bioprinted-tissue-therapeutics-for-diabetes-and-obesity\">are collaborating\u003C\u002Fa> to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics with the aim of developing treatments for diabetes and obesity. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Forganovo.com\u002Fabout\u002Fwho-we-are\u002F\">Organovo\u003C\u002Fa> uses its 3D bioprinting technology to create human models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This helps them better understand and develop drug therapies for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>7. 3D printed drugs\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While at a relatively nascent stage, 3D printed drugs have made strides since Spritam, the first 3D-printed prescription drug to treat symptoms of epilepsy, was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Frobertszczerba\u002F2015\u002F08\u002F04\u002Ffda-approves-first-3-d-printed-drug\u002F#21226e315675\">approved by the FDA\u003C\u002Fa> in 2015. UK-based FabRx is already studying the efficacy and customisation of 3D printed drugs in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002F3dprinting.com\u002Fnews\u002Ffirst-3d-printed-pediatric-medicine-trials-to-begin-in-europe\u002F\">the first paediatric clinical trial\u003C\u002Fa> of such medications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F3d_printed_drugs_poster-edited-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36297\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F3d_printed_drugs_poster-edited-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F3d_printed_drugs_poster-edited-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F3d_printed_drugs_poster-edited.png 1527w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>3D printing drugs is a promising trend for personalised medication based on individual patient’s needs. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002F3dprint.com\u002F261126\u002Fresearchers-3d-print-six-different-drugs-multi-layered-polypill\u002F\">multi-layered, 3D printed “polypills”\u003C\u002Fa> can contain several drugs in one pill to assist patients in medication adherence. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The ability to 3D print drugs can also decentralise drug manufacturing, bringing the production of medication closer to the point of care. Pharmacies could 3D print customised pills and improve medication access to underserved areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>8. \u003Cem>in silico\u003C\u002Fem> clinical trials\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fin-silico-trials-are-the-future\u002F\">\u003Cem>in silico \u003C\u002Fem>clinical trials\u003C\u002Fa> promise to enable the conduction of experiments wholly via computer simulation, without the need for animal or human testing. By running drug trials on computer simulations of organs, this approach can be both time and cost effective while circumventing the side effects on live participants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F103_In-silico-clinical-trials-768x432.png\" alt=\"in silico trials, synthetic data, artificial patient, TMF\" class=\"wp-image-24545\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F103_In-silico-clinical-trials-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F103_In-silico-clinical-trials-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F103_In-silico-clinical-trials-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F103_In-silico-clinical-trials-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F103_In-silico-clinical-trials.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>While this promise has yet to be fully realised, progress has been made towards it. The Wyss Institute \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwyss.harvard.edu\u002Ftechnology\u002Fhuman-organs-on-chips\u002F\">has developed organs-on-a-chip\u003C\u002Fa> to emulate the complex structures and functions of living human organs. Their technology has been leveraged by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Femulatebio.com\u002F\">Emulate Inc\u003C\u002Fa> for efficient drug development. The mathematical model of human physiology created by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhummod.org\u002F\">HumMod\u003C\u002Fa> has been used in \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fhummod.org\u002Fprojects\u002F\">several research projects\u003C\u002Fa>. Further envisioning a future trending towards \u003Cem>in silico \u003C\u002Fem>trials, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vph-institute.org\u002F\">Virtual Physiological Human Institute\u003C\u002Fa> has been set up to encourage the effective adoption of \u003Cem>in silico \u003C\u002Fem>medical research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The future of the pharma industry relies on patient design\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>These 8 trends hold tremendous potential for the future of the pharmaceutical industry. From personalised care to efficient supply chains, pharma companies integrating such approaches can consider their investments beyond ROI but also as investments in the future of the field thanks to the considerable ROV they represent. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, such endeavours will be in vain if companies don’t embrace patient design. This entails the involvement of patients at the highest level of decision-making processes. In the digital health age, patients are more empowered than ever and want to have their voices heard in matters that impact their health. This is exemplified by patient-led \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fopenaps.org\u002F\">DIY artificial pancreas\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.digitaltrends.com\u002Fcool-tech\u002Fdiy-medicine-expert-interview\u002F\">DIY medicine\u003C\u002Fa> movements. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why is Patient Design Essential in Healthcare? \u002F Episode 6 - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FhjPcpVaJ9xU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The FDA has even acknowledged the importance of patient design and has established its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fda.gov\u002Fadvisory-committees\u002Fcommittees-and-meeting-materials\u002Fpatient-engagement-advisory-committee\">Patient Engagement Advisory Committee\u003C\u002Fa>. Pharma companies should adopt a similar approach and include patient input in their midst. For example, they can utilise platforms such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.antidote.me\u002F\">Antidote\u003C\u002Fa> to help patients find the right clinical trial while cutting costs incurred due to delays in finding participants. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Patients can give invaluable insights to companies with their experience as medication users and benefit the drug development process. It’s a win-win situation that begins by adopting the principles of patient design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunnoo\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":368,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>We share a collection of 8 major ones below, ordered from the most practical and promising to the least ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",16,36305,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,373,374,375,376,235,5],490,802,499,489,[],[],[],[381,382,383,384,385,386,387,388,389,390,391,392,393],4483,1599,4491,1607,4907,1609,1613,1617,1625,1885,3201,3335,3341,[395,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,396,397,398,399,263,105],"post-58151","category-future-of-pharma","category-health-insurance","category-healthcare-design","category-personalized-medicine",{"id":370,"alt_text":62,"caption":62,"description":401,"media_type":117,"media_details":402,"post":419,"source_url":420},"Digital tools disrupting the supply chains of Pharma",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":403,"sizes":404,"image_meta":418},"2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_291_A-02.png",{"medium":405,"large":408,"thumbnail":411,"medium_large":414,"1536x1536":415},{"file":406,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":407},"tmf_article_291_A-02-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_291_A-02-370x208.png",{"file":409,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":410},"tmf_article_291_A-02-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_291_A-02-768x432.png",{"file":412,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":413},"tmf_article_291_A-02-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_291_A-02-150x150.png",{"file":409,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":410},{"file":416,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":417},"tmf_article_291_A-02-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_291_A-02-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},17427,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Ftmf_article_291_A-02.png",{"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"key_takeaways":422,"related_books":16,"related_posts_footer":16,"related_posts":16},[423,425],{"title":424},"\u003Cp>With the rapidly evolving pace of the healthcare landscape in the digital health era, pharmaceutical companies have to adopt new strategies and consider new investment opportunities to stay relevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":426},"\u003Cp>We share 8 major trends, ranked based on their return-on-investment and return-on-vision; because a long-term vision is necessary to stay up-to-date in this space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":428,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":62,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":362},"8 Top Pharma Trends In The Digital Health and AI Era - The Medical Futurist",{"self":430,"collection":435,"about":437,"author":439,"replies":442,"version-history":445,"predecessor-version":449,"wp:featuredmedia":453,"wp:attachment":456,"wp:term":459,"curies":470},[431],{"href":432,"targetHints":433},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F58151",{"allow":434},[27],[436],{"href":173},[438],{"href":176},[440],{"embeddable":41,"href":441},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F16",[443],{"embeddable":41,"href":444},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=58151",[446],{"count":447,"href":448},7,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F58151\u002Frevisions",[450],{"id":451,"href":452},58183,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F58151\u002Frevisions\u002F58183",[454],{"embeddable":41,"href":455},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F36305",[457],{"href":458},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=58151",[460,462,464,466,468],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":461},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=58151",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":463},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=58151",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":465},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=58151",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":467},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=58151",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":469},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=58151",[471],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":146,"date":473,"date_gmt":474,"guid":475,"modified":473,"modified_gmt":474,"slug":477,"status":50,"type":51,"link":478,"title":479,"content":481,"excerpt":483,"author":369,"featured_media":60,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":485,"categories":486,"tags":493,"project_category":509,"contact_email_category":512,"yst_prominent_words":513,"class_list":520,"better_featured_image":545,"acf":554,"yoast_meta":566,"_links":569},"2025-09-22T12:15:22","2025-09-22T10:15:22",{"rendered":476},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=34265&_wpnonce=84d672628d&status=auto-draft&type=post","future-jobs-in-healthcare","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffuture-jobs-in-healthcare",{"rendered":480},"7 Futuristic Professions In Healthcare You Can Still Prepare For",{"rendered":482,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>If you’re among the thousands of medical students worldwide or are about to pursue a degree in healthcare, it might have dawned on you that the field wouldn’t look the same by the time you get into clinical practice. With \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffuture-emergency-medicine-innovations-making-patients-point-care\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">drones delivering medical supplies\u003C\u002Fa>; an ever-increasing wealth of data from \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-body-map-of-health-trackers-infographic\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">personal health sensors\u003C\u002Fa>; and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">patients turning to telemedicine\u003C\u002Fa>, the medical workplace will decidedly look different by then. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But you also regularly hear news like how algorithms are able to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ftop-artificial-intelligence-companies-in-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">beat radiologists\u003C\u002Fa> to the punch when identifying cancerous lesions in medical images. These \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fd41586-019-03847-z\" target=\"_blank\">can fuel fear\u003C\u002Fa> that such advanced technologies will put physicians out of their jobs. While the likes of artificial intelligence and robotics will indeed replace existing professions, it cannot be stressed enough that those same technologies will create new jobs. Consider how the automobile industry took over horse carriages in the early 20th century. Younger generations of horse carriage drivers did not lose their job \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fnew-jobs-in-the-future-of-healthcare-medicine-i\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">by adapting to the prevalent changes\u003C\u002Fa>, and shifted to using cars in their businesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As such, it’s more accurate to say that those who don’t adopt those disruptive digital health technologies will be replaced by those who do so. So let’s see 7 of those new professions that are practical enough that people going into their careers could start specialising towards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>1. Deep learning expert: the algorithm trainer \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>From handling repetitive administrative tasks to uncovering clinical associations invisible to the human eye, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fa-i-in-healthcare-insights-from-the-new-e-book\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">A.I.’s prowess in healthcare\u003C\u002Fa> is far-reaching. But paramount to employing competent algorithms is their efficient development. A.I. is all too often trained on medical data which are \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fa-i-bias-in-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">fraught with inherent biases\u003C\u002Fa>; or developers use selected datasets \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fbioethical-issues\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">not totally reflective of actual clinical environments\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is where a deep learning expert comes in: to ensure proper training of medical A.I. Whether it’s for an autonomous emergency drone to find the optimal path to reach its destination or for \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.siemens-healthineers.com\u002Fdigital-health-solutions\u002Fdigital-solutions-overview\u002Fclinical-decision-support\u002Fai-pathway-companion\" target=\"_blank\">devising treatment plans\u003C\u002Fa>, such an expert will be able to guide and supervise the development and deployment of effective and ethical algorithms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F065_compassionate_care_v2-768x432.png\" alt=\"A.I. in medicine\" class=\"wp-image-23751\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F065_compassionate_care_v2-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F065_compassionate_care_v2-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F065_compassionate_care_v2-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F065_compassionate_care_v2-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F065_compassionate_care_v2-512x288.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>2. Lifestyle strategist: to guide patients with their health data\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The number of connected wearable devices worldwide is over one billion by now. Thanks to the democratised access to individual health data they provide, this adoption trend is set to perpetuate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For such adopters, a lifestyle strategist will guide them in navigating the load of data they constantly collect and devices they use from \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffood-scanners\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">food scanners\u003C\u002Fa> through \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwe-used-3-devices-for-meditation-heres-what-we-found\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">meditation headbands\u003C\u002Fa> to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwithings-scanwatch-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">ECG monitors\u003C\u002Fa>. Based on those individual health metrics, the lifestyle strategist can create personalised lifestyle, diet and workout routines for their patients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Already, training in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Flifestyle-medicine-could-be-the-key-for-digital-health-adoption\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">the emerging field of lifestyle medicine\u003C\u002Fa> is helping physicians adopt such a role and it can help redesign primary care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>3. Telesurgeon: performing surgeries from afar\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By 2025, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marketsandmarkets.com\u002FMarket-Reports\u002Fmedical-robotic-systems-market-2916860.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">analysts expect\u003C\u002Fa> the global medical robots market to reach $12.7 billion; up from its $5.9 billion valuation in 2020. Combine that with the fact that \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F5g-in-healthcare-boosting-telehealth-vr-connected-health\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">5G in healthcare\u003C\u002Fa> is just around the corner, and it’s easy to see a rising demand for specialists well-versed in surgical robots. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the assistance of robots, surgeons will not only be able to perform more intricate procedures but also to perform them remotely. And to fine-tune their skills, surgeons can employ technologies like augmented or virtual reality. These can adequately help plan for operations or even boost surgeons’ performance. Indeed, some \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F5-ways-medical-vr-is-changing-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">studies show\u003C\u002Fa> that VR-trained surgeons experienced a boost in their overall performance compared to their traditionally-trained counterparts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F105_Do-scalable-simulations-prepare-for-medical-realities-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33337\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F105_Do-scalable-simulations-prepare-for-medical-realities-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F105_Do-scalable-simulations-prepare-for-medical-realities-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F105_Do-scalable-simulations-prepare-for-medical-realities-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F105_Do-scalable-simulations-prepare-for-medical-realities.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>4. Bioprinting experts: to design synthetic organs \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While we are currently limited to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F3d-bioprinting-overview\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">bioprinting tissues\u003C\u002Fa>, full-blown synthetic organs are an eventuality down the line. Some experts even believe that we will have a bioprinted heart in an animal \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002F3dprint.com\u002F278969\u002Fams-2021-deconstructing-the-timeline-to-bioprinted-organs\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in 12 years\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Such bioprinted organs will be lifesaving for the thousands of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.organdonor.gov\u002Fstatistics-stories\u002Fstatistics.html\" target=\"_blank\">organ transplant candidates\u003C\u002Fa>; and with \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhealth.howstuffworks.com\u002Fmedicine\u002Fmodern-technology\u002F3-d-bioprinting.htm#pt3\" target=\"_blank\">bioprinting techniques\u003C\u002Fa>, these organs can be custom-designed to individual patients. For this purpose, we will need bioprinting experts to scale the bioprinting material and scaffold to each patient’s needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>5. Patient assistant: helping patients navigate the healthcare jungle\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite the heavy technological presence in the future of healthcare, one of the most important aspects will be the human touch. This coveted aspect of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-age-of-a-i-will-value-compassionate-care-more-than-ever\u002F\">compassionate care\u003C\u002Fa> can be provided by a so-called patient assistant. The latter will provide patients with the adequate amount of attention; help them navigate their health data; and piece together relevant information for physicians to provide treatment options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While such assistants or navigators don’t need to be physicians themselves, they have extensive knowledge of the healthcare system; and will work in tandem with a team of medical professionals to enhance the patient experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffuture-of-nursing-768x432.png\" alt=\"future of nurses\" class=\"wp-image-20967\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffuture-of-nursing-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffuture-of-nursing-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffuture-of-nursing-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffuture-of-nursing.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>6. VR therapist: treating patients with new realities\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By means of a dedicated headset, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fvirtual-reality-used-clinical-practice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">virtual reality\u003C\u002Fa> immerses the user into a different world. The technology’s potential in healthcare not only includes medical training but also therapeutic pathways. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Indeed, studies already point to VR as being a beneficial, drug-free alternative; whether it’s in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.stgeorges.nhs.uk\u002Fnewsitem\u002Fvr-headsets-relaxing-patients-during-surgery-at-st-georges\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">reducing post-surgical pain\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fvirtual-reality-help-women-get-through-childbirth-with-less-pain\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">making childbirth less painful\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fmonitor\u002Fjulaug05\u002Fcure\" target=\"_blank\">treating phobias\u003C\u002Fa>. As VR therapies get increasingly adopted in mainstream practice, they will need to be professionally designed to incorporate targeted elements for patient groups. This is where the input of a VR therapist will be crucial. The latter would require a background in psychiatry and experience with VR technology to design appropriate treatments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>7. Health data analysts: to make sense of data and AI\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the amount of digital data \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.emc.com\u002Fleadership\u002Fdigital-universe\u002F2014iview\u002Fexecutive-summary.htm\" target=\"_blank\">doubling every second year\u003C\u002Fa> and digital health tools \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statista.com\u002Fstatistics\u002F1092869\u002Fglobal-digital-health-market-size-forecast\u002F#:~:text=According%20to%20this%20forecast%2C%20the,and%20a%20projection%20for%202025\" target=\"_blank\">contributing their share to this volume\u003C\u002Fa>, we will need to make sense of such big data in healthcare. This will be the focus of health data analysts. They will need to constantly analyse and interpret this ever-increasing data load for local authorities or insurance providers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Their data-interpreting skills won’t only be necessary on such higher levels but also in day-to-day medical practice. The analysts will be the one able to help streamline and deal with data that patients bring from their personal sensors and online testing kits. Thus, their work in separating the wheat from the chaff will subsequently enable physicians to focus on the relevant data points of their patients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F081_data_annotator-scaled-768x432.png\" alt=\"data annotation\" class=\"wp-image-23566\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F081_data_annotator-scaled-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F081_data_annotator-scaled-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F081_data_annotator-scaled-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F081_data_annotator-scaled.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>We hope that you found this list insightful and that it might even have helped you find your future professional path. If there are any promising ones you think will be of importance in the near future, do share them with us!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunnoo\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\">\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":484,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>If you’re among the thousands of medical students worldwide or are about to pursue a degree in healthcare, it might have dawned on you that […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[487,488,489,68,69,375,70,490,235,5,236,491,492],498,504,798,497,494,514,[494,495,496,497,498,499,500,501,502,503,504,505,506,507,508],4883,723,152,6397,196,224,275,372,545,604,619,1319,636,686,137,[510,78,79,80,511],949,953,[],[514,85,515,87,516,517,518,88,90,83,519,388],1631,1693,1725,1729,1741,2923,[521,51,95,96,97,98,99,522,523,524,102,103,398,104,525,263,105,264,526,527,528,529,530,531,532,533,534,535,536,537,538,539,540,541,542,543,111,112,113,544],"post-34265","category-3d-printing","category-artificial-intelligence","category-digital-health-research","category-portable-diagnostics","category-telemedicine","category-virtual-reality","tag-lifestyle-medicine","tag-telemedicine","tag-bioprinting","tag-epatients","tag-data-2","tag-ecg","tag-healthcare","tag-radiology","tag-sensors","tag-food-scanner","tag-lifestyle","tag-telesurgery","tag-deep-learning","tag-health-data","tag-algorithm","project_category-educators","project_category-researchers",{"id":60,"alt_text":115,"caption":62,"description":116,"media_type":117,"media_details":546,"post":146,"source_url":147},{"width":119,"height":120,"file":121,"sizes":547,"image_meta":553},{"medium":548,"large":549,"thumbnail":550,"medium_large":551,"1536x1536":552},{"file":124,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":128},{"file":130,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":133},{"file":135,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":137},{"file":130,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":133},{"file":140,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":143},{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},{"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":555,"related_posts_footer":557,"related_posts":16,"key_takeaways":561},[556,298],34151,[558,559,560],34179,34065,13003,[562,564],{"title":563},"\u003Cp>Thinking about potential jobs in the future might help the current workforce better retrain themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":565},"\u003Cp>It can also help employers prepare for the special skills and environments required by these unique professions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":567,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":568,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":478},"7 Futuristic Professions In Healthcare You Can Still Prepare For - The Medical Futurist","Healthcare is changing and so must medical education. Have a look at 7 interesting jobs from the future you can still prepare for.",{"self":570,"collection":575,"about":577,"author":579,"replies":581,"version-history":584,"predecessor-version":587,"wp:featuredmedia":591,"wp:attachment":593,"wp:term":596,"curies":607},[571],{"href":572,"targetHints":573},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F34265",{"allow":574},[27],[576],{"href":173},[578],{"href":176},[580],{"embeddable":41,"href":441},[582],{"embeddable":41,"href":583},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=34265",[585],{"count":369,"href":586},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F34265\u002Frevisions",[588],{"id":589,"href":590},59141,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F34265\u002Frevisions\u002F59141",[592],{"embeddable":41,"href":193},[594],{"href":595},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=34265",[597,599,601,603,605],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":598},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=34265",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":600},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=34265",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":602},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=34265",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":604},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=34265",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":606},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=34265",[608],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":610,"date":611,"date_gmt":612,"guid":613,"modified":615,"modified_gmt":616,"slug":617,"status":50,"type":51,"link":618,"title":619,"content":621,"excerpt":623,"author":369,"featured_media":625,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":626,"categories":627,"tags":628,"project_category":629,"contact_email_category":630,"yst_prominent_words":631,"class_list":637,"better_featured_image":639,"acf":674,"yoast_meta":681,"_links":683},58957,"2025-08-18T10:05:51","2025-08-18T08:05:51",{"rendered":614},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=58957&_wpnonce=f906fc75b7&status=auto-draft&type=post","2025-08-18T10:05:52","2025-08-18T08:05:52","brain-computer-interfaces-in-healthcare-current-promise-and-future-potentials","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fbrain-computer-interfaces-in-healthcare-current-promise-and-future-potentials",{"rendered":620},"Brain-Computer Interfaces In Healthcare: Current Promise And Future Potentials",{"rendered":622,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>Controlling a computer or your phone with your mind might sound like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-our-brains-health-in-black-mirror\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a science fiction prospect\u003C\u002Fa>, or even a supernatural one. However, the technology to make “mind control” a reality – not unlike using the force in the Star Wars franchise – already exists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is what brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) allow. By capturing brainwaves and signals from neurons, BCIs can translate them into an action, such as a scroll on a screen. These devices have been under development for decades and have received renewed attention with recent developments and new companies investing in this field. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In this article, we provide an overview of BCIs, their current state and future potential, and the challenges that lie ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>What are BCIs and how do they work?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In simple terms, BCIs are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Farticles\u002FPMC3497935\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">devices that translate brain signals\u003C\u002Fa> into commands to control external devices. They don’t “read the mind”, but interpret neuronal signals that are usually associated with movement intention. For example, if you want to attempt to move your arm, your brain will produce corresponding signals. BCIs can capture these signals and relay them to an external device, such as an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-state-of-exoskeletons-in-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exoskeleton\u003C\u002Fa>, to perform the desired action. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For decades, the Utah array \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fparadromics-neuralink-rival-tested-brain-implant\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was the centrepiece\u003C\u002Fa> of BCI research. It is a tiny implant that features 100 electrodes that has enabled cursor movement, robotic arm controls and speech production among people with paralysis. However, it is a highly invasive device, involves a bulky setup and can degrade over time, making it unoptimised for extended use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In recent years, a new generation of BCI-focused companies or so-called \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Ftech\u002Fbrain-implant-musk-als-tbi-neuralink-f733998f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">“neurotech” startups\u003C\u002Fa> has been attempting to reshape the landscape with options that are less bulky, last longer and capture more signals with more electrodes. Among them, the most popular might be the Elon Musk-backed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fneuralink.com\u002F\">Neuralink\u003C\u002Fa>. Its BCI is a coin-sized device that is implanted after removing a piece of the skull and includes over 1,000 electrodes. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.paradromics.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Paradromics\u003C\u002Fa>’ Connexus is a similar BCI with 420 electrodes and uses biocompatible materials to last a user’s lifetime. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fparadromics-bci-768x560.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58959\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fparadromics-bci-768x560.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fparadromics-bci.png 1367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The BCI module from Pradromics. \u003Cbr>Source; www.paradromics.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsynchron.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Synchron\u003C\u002Fa>’s 16-electrode Stentrode adopts a less invasive approach by being inserted via the jugular vein. It is linked to a device under the wearer’s collarbone that analyses the brain signals. These are communicated to an external receiver that resides on the wearer’s chest. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In early 2025, researchers at Georgia Tech shared \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fresearch.gatech.edu\u002Fnew-wearable-brain-computer-interface\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a new BCI approach\u003C\u002Fa>. It involves micro-brain sensors placed between hair strands, which can capture high-fidelity signals while making unintrusive, continuous use of BCIs possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The different techniques of these devices show promise for the field of BCIs and their potential in healthcare, as we contemplate in the next section.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Mind power: the current potentials of BCIs in healthcare\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The development of BCIs has traditionally had a healthcare focus. They have mostly resided within the realm of research, with a particular outlook to restore motion and external controls for people with impaired mobility, paralysis or conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where the patient gradually loses muscle control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>BCIs using the traditional Utah array have enabled patients to use them for several years. Nathan Copeland, who became paralysed from the chest down after a car accident, has had his implant for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fthis-man-set-the-record-for-wearing-a-brain-computer-interface\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">over ten years\u003C\u002Fa>, setting the world record. This \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.npr.org\u002Fsections\u002Fshots-health-news\u002F2025\u002F06\u002F30\u002Fnx-s1-5339708\u002Fbrain-computer-interface-implants-disabilities-neuralink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">enabled him\u003C\u002Fa> to control a computer and even fist-bump  President Barack Obama. However, such BCIs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fthis-man-set-the-record-for-wearing-a-brain-computer-interface\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have lasted up to 10 years\u003C\u002Fa> in tests with monkeys and can cause adverse reactions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The new wave of BCI companies aims to be safer, and several of them have received clearance from regulatory authorities for implanting their devices in patients. As of June 2025, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fneuralink.com\u002Fupdates\u002Fneuralink-raises-650m-series-e\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Neuralink reported\u003C\u002Fa> that “five individuals with severe paralysis are now using Neuralink to control digital and physical devices with their thoughts”. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Synchron’s trials \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Farticles\u002FPMC9857731\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">showed no severe adverse effects\u003C\u002Fa> among patients with paralysis after 12 months. More recently, Synchron \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fiercebiotech.com\u002Fmedtech\u002Fsynchron-links-brain-computer-interface-ipad-through-new-apple-protocol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">has been able to connect\u003C\u002Fa> a patient’s BCI with the Apple Vision Pro and an iPad, increasing their autonomy and access to entertainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Control an iPad With Your Mind? Breakthrough Demo Using Apple’s BCI HID\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FYK8r5vdpozA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Paradromics has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.prnewswire.com\u002Fnews-releases\u002Fparadromics-announces-principal-investigators-for-the-connexus-brain-computer-interface-clinical-study-302398246.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">received regulatory approval\u003C\u002Fa> to conduct its Connexus BCI Clinical Study in late 2025. This will assess the clinical benefits of its BCI among patients with speech impairment due to progressive neuromuscular diseases or neural injuries with severe paralysis in all four limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are other, less hyped companies that \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.clinicaltrialsarena.com\u002Fnews\u002Fthree-companies-to-rival-neuralink-in-the-bci-clinical-trial-landscape\u002F?cf-view\" target=\"_blank\">have quietly progressed\u003C\u002Fa> further in their clinical assessment journey. US-based \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.braingate.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">BrainGate\u003C\u002Fa> shared the findings of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nejm.org\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1056\u002FNEJMoa2314132\" target=\"_blank\">a successful case study\u003C\u002Fa> in 2024. In it, a patient with ALS received their BCI implant, which was able to translate brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy. France-based \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffonds-clinatec.fr\u002Fen\u002Fprojects-partner-projects-we-support\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Clinatec\u003C\u002Fa>’s Wimagine BCI enabled a tetraplegic patient to control a four-limb exoskeleton back in 2019. In 2023, their technology \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41586-023-06094-5\" target=\"_blank\">restored communication\u003C\u002Fa> between the brain and spinal cord, enabling a paraplegic patient to walk again in a natural way. They have also completed \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medicaldevice-network.com\u002Fnews\u002Fonwards-brain-computer-interface-tech-joins-fdas-new-tap-programme\u002F?cf-view\" target=\"_blank\">other feasibility studies\u003C\u002Fa> to restore upper and lower limb movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Food for (BCI) thought: future potentials and regulatory hurdles \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The momentum in the BCI space indicates a promising future, especially for those with impaired mobility. With increased clinical trials and partnerships, with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffinance.yahoo.com\u002Fnews\u002Finside-a-400-billion-bet-on-the-brain-computer-interface-revolution-150057794.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tech giants in the fold\u003C\u002Fa>, the potentials \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fsuperhumans\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expand beyond mobility\u003C\u002Fa> to monitoring epilepsy or ADHD to pain management and sleep assessment. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Within the tech industry, some even see BCIs as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Ftranshumanism-billionaires-want-to-use-tech-to-enhance-our-abilities-the-outcomes-could-change-what-it-means-to-be-human-220549\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a means to achieve transhumanist ideals\u003C\u002Fa>, with the ability to augment human functions even if you don’t have any underlying conditions. Synchron’s CEO, Tom Oxley, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pcmag.com\u002Farticles\u002Fsynchron-neuralink-competitor-brain-computer-interface-hq-tour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">even expects\u003C\u002Fa> that by the 2040s, anyone with $40,000-$50,000 to spend can get a Stentrode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fsynchron-bci-768x431.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58963\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fsynchron-bci-768x431.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fsynchron-bci-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fsynchron-bci-1536x862.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Fsynchron-bci.png 1582w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Synchron’s Stentrode BCI in a model brain. \u003Cbr>Source: www.pcmag.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, these devices are currently limited to research purposes, and so far, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Ftech\u002Fbrain-implant-musk-als-tbi-neuralink-f733998f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fewer than 100 people\u003C\u002Fa> have permanent BCI implants. These devices are under intense scrutiny by authorities, especially considering the risks involved in brain surgery. For example, in the case of Neuralink, up to a dozen monkeys involved in trials \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffuturism.com\u002Fneoscope\u002Fterrible-things-monkeys-neuralink-implants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suffered from complications\u003C\u002Fa>, including brain swelling and partial paralysis. Every company developing an advanced technology must meet evidence-based guidelines, even if certain neurotech companies are treating BCIs as the latest tech product.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While neural interfaces sound like technologies from the future, gaining interest from tech enthusiasts and journalists, current invasive and surgery-dependent solutions won’t lead to widespread use. After all, if most patients cannot even download their own medical records, why would they want to get surgery to open their car with their mind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is why the success of BCI will inevitably demand more than just technological innovation. It will require a cultural transformation where all stakeholders collaborate to ensure an evidence-backed, ethical adoption of such technologies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunnoo\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":624,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) showcase the power of thought, enabling brain signals to be converted to actions, with the potential to restore mobility and communication among those otherwise unable to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",58965,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,234,69,5],[],[],[],[86,632,633,634,635,636,387,514],2541,4295,5573,5577,1595,[638,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,262,103,105],"post-58957",{"id":625,"alt_text":62,"caption":640,"description":62,"media_type":117,"media_details":641,"post":610,"source_url":673},"Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)",{"width":642,"height":643,"file":644,"filesize":645,"sizes":646,"image_meta":671},1600,900,"2025\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_446-1.png",839346,{"medium":647,"large":653,"thumbnail":659,"medium_large":664,"1536x1536":665},{"file":648,"width":649,"height":650,"mime-type":127,"filesize":651,"source_url":652},"tmf_article_446-1-370x208.png",370,208,47935,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_446-1-370x208.png",{"file":654,"width":655,"height":656,"mime-type":127,"filesize":657,"source_url":658},"tmf_article_446-1-768x432.png",768,432,147949,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_446-1-768x432.png",{"file":660,"width":661,"height":661,"mime-type":127,"filesize":662,"source_url":663},"tmf_article_446-1-150x150.png",150,20219,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_446-1-150x150.png",{"file":654,"width":655,"height":656,"mime-type":127,"filesize":657,"source_url":658},{"file":666,"width":667,"height":668,"mime-type":127,"filesize":669,"source_url":670},"tmf_article_446-1-1536x864.png",1536,864,490433,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_446-1-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145,"keywords":672},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_446-1.png",{"subtitle":62,"key_takeaways":675,"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62,"related_books":16,"related_posts_footer":16,"related_posts":16},[676,677,679],{"title":624},{"title":678},"\u003Cp>In recent years, a new generation of neurotech companies has been investing in BCIs to make them more efficient, with an eye to widespread adoption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":680},"\u003Cp>This article contemplates the current state of BCIs and their future potential in a highly regulated area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":682,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":62,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":618},"Brain-Computer Interfaces In Healthcare: Current Promise And Future Potentials - The Medical Futurist",{"self":684,"collection":689,"about":691,"author":693,"replies":695,"version-history":698,"predecessor-version":702,"wp:featuredmedia":706,"wp:attachment":709,"wp:term":712,"curies":723},[685],{"href":686,"targetHints":687},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F58957",{"allow":688},[27],[690],{"href":173},[692],{"href":176},[694],{"embeddable":41,"href":441},[696],{"embeddable":41,"href":697},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=58957",[699],{"count":700,"href":701},4,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F58957\u002Frevisions",[703],{"id":704,"href":705},59015,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F58957\u002Frevisions\u002F59015",[707],{"embeddable":41,"href":708},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F58965",[710],{"href":711},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=58957",[713,715,717,719,721],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":714},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=58957",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":716},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=58957",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":718},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=58957",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":720},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=58957",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":722},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=58957",[724],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":726,"date":727,"date_gmt":728,"guid":729,"modified":731,"modified_gmt":732,"slug":733,"status":50,"type":51,"link":734,"title":735,"content":737,"excerpt":739,"author":59,"featured_media":741,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":742,"categories":743,"tags":745,"project_category":760,"contact_email_category":761,"yst_prominent_words":762,"class_list":779,"better_featured_image":796,"acf":825,"yoast_meta":841,"_links":844},22092,"2025-06-17T10:11:18","2025-06-17T08:11:18",{"rendered":730},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F","2025-06-17T10:11:19","2025-06-17T08:11:19","are-you-going-to-wake-up-from-cryosleep","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fare-you-going-to-wake-up-from-cryosleep",{"rendered":736},"Are You Going To Wake Up From Cryosleep?",{"rendered":738,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>More than 500 people let their bodies have cooled down to -200 Celsius and preserved in liquid nitrogen in the hope that someday in the future, science will be able to cheat death and make them wake up from their Sleeping Beauty state. As of today, no one knows whether they will ever have the chance for a second life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Relax, David, open your eyes!\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That’s the last line from \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.imdb.com\u002Ftitle\u002Ftt0259711\u002F?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vanilla Sky\u003C\u002Fa>, the movie remake about a wealthy playboy in cryosleep waking up after 150 years from his lucid dream (starring Tom Cruise as David). The audience doesn’t know what happens next, and whether he can survive the procedure, not to speak about living in a society where every one of his friends and relatives is dead, and people live a completely different way of life than he was used to. \u003Cstrong>Concerns about the feasibility of cryonics as well as its “afterlife” are as old as the birth of the idea that people could fall asleep for a long time and wake up as if nothing happened\u003C\u002Fstrong> – isn’t Sleeping Beauty about cryonics, really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, the idea of preserving bodies in some liquid cooled down to below zero temperatures appears in many sci-fi movies indicating the concept has interested the audience already for a while. Do you remember \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=E-AmHZ17gWM\" target=\"_blank\">Han Solo being hibernated in The Empire Strikes Back\u003C\u002Fa>? And \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=WCtkibZqSpk\" target=\"_blank\">Ellen Ripley and the crew waking up\u003C\u002Fa> in a cryotube used for interstellar travel in the Alien series? Recently, cryonics and cryosleep are getting more and more attention as billionaires from Silicon Valley start to look at it as a real possibility to avoid death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, its principle is backed by news about \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uni-stuttgart.de\u002Fen\u002Funiversity\u002Fnews\u002Fall\u002FSleeping-Beauty-in-an-ice-cube-How-tardigrades-survive-freezing-temperatures\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a revived tardigrade\u003C\u002Fa> (tiny, water-dwelling organism) that had been frozen for more than three decades; and news about how scientists are trying to de-extinct the woolly mammoth. Back in 2013, Russian scientists \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.history.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcan-scientists-clone-a-woolly-mammoth-should-they\" target=\"_blank\">discovered\u003C\u002Fa> a well-preserved woolly mammoth carcass trapped in the permafrost of northern Siberia for some 42,000 years. They named the specimen Buttercup (of course). Now, George Church and his team are trying to extract DNA from the ancient mammoth specimen and use gene editing to combine it with that of the Asian elephant. Such news could give ideas to some people: what if I let my body preserve in ice, too, and will be recreated somehow in the future?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The brief history of cryonics\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That’s precisely the basic idea of cryonics. The word itself is also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fscience.howstuffworks.com\u002Flife\u002Fgenetic\u002Fcryonics4.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">derived from the Greek term for “cold”\u003C\u002Fa>, and \u003Cstrong>it means the low-temperature preservation of a human corpse, with the hope that one day it can be restored to life and full health. Bodies are cooled down to -200 Celsius and placed in a container of liquid nitrogen\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Michigan professor, Robert Ettinger proposed \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ftechnology\u002F2008\u002Ffeb\u002F14\u002Fresearch.cryonics\" target=\"_blank\">cryonics\u003C\u002Fa> in 1964 in a book called The Prospect of Immortality, which argued that death could, in fact, be a reversible process. The first person to be cryopreserved was Dr. James Bedford in 1967. He died of kidney cancer, but his will was to be put into a cryo-chamber, in hopes that one day in the future, doctors would be able to bring him back. Ettinger, who died in 2011, went on to found the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.cryonics.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Cryonics Institute\u003C\u002Fa> in Michigan where he, his mother and his first and second wives all now reside in metal flasks kept at −196 °C.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep.jpg\" alt=\"cryosleep, stasis chambers, cryonics\" class=\"wp-image-56027\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep.jpg 1792w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep-1536x878.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1792px) 100vw, 1792px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although the concept has never become mainstream, around six companies were established in the 1970s to use the technology. However, the majority could not cover the fixed costs of preserving the bodies, thus they went bankrupt, and the number of people choosing to sign up is steadily increasing year on year. \u003Cstrong>There are now \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fscience\u002F2016\u002Fnov\u002F18\u002Fthe-cryonics-dilemma-will-deep-frozen-bodies-be-fit-for-new-life\">nearly 300 cryogenically frozen individuals in the US, another 50 in Russia\u003C\u002Fa>, and a few thousand prospective candidates signed up. There are even more than 30 pets at \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alcor.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Alcor’s\u003C\u002Fa> chambers, the largest cryonics organization in the world in Arizona, that has been around since 1972.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One tiny problem though. We’re not sure if we can wake them up – no matter how convincingly cryogenics companies are stating it otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Traveling in cryosleep\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cstrong> to Mars?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That’s the same trouble with cryosleep, the most popular means of travel for sci-fi movies and literature where protagonists go to other planets by light years. However, \u003Cstrong>if we could make it work, it would really be a game-changer — from saving terminally ill patients to solving one of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nasa.gov\u002Fcenters-and-facilities\u002Fglenn\u002Fbrr-its-cold-in-here-nasas-cryo-efforts-beyond-the-atmosphere\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">main problems of interstellar travels\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And there are many attempts to make it a reality. An Atlanta-based startup, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.spaceworks.aero\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Space Works Enterprises\u003C\u002Fa> was working with NASA to develop a stasis chamber (but the project \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.spaceworks.aero\u002Ftag\u002Fhuman-stasis\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">seems to be dumped\u003C\u002Fa>). According to the original idea, the module lowers the body temperature to 32 Celsius and creates mild hypothermia. And with multiple sessions, a room like that could be a massive advancement in space travel. But it’s not suspended animation, it’s rather \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nasa.gov\u002Fgeneral\u002Ftorpor-inducing-transfer-habitat-for-human-stasis-to-mars-2\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">deep sleep called torpor\u003C\u002Fa> significantly reducing metabolic rates for humans over extended periods. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, The Medical Futurist is not sure whether a form of deep sleep will be enough if we want to travel light years. We suspect we’ll need to come up with something better and for that, we’ll need more research into cryogenics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Wake me up when cryosleep ends\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The trouble with cryogenics and cryosleep is pure physics: our cells are filled with water. And when you freeze water, it expands and forms crystals, which irreversibly damage the body. \u003C\u002Fstrong>The Cryonics Institute is trying to fix that problem by \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dailymail.co.uk\u002Fsciencetech\u002Farticle-5270257\u002FCryogenics-corpses-brought-10-years.html\" target=\"_blank\">draining the blood and replacing it with an antifreeze fluid to stop harmful ice crystals from forming\u003C\u002Fa> in the body. At Alcor, they use a process called vitrification. They substitute the water in the cells with an antifreeze agent. So when the tissues are cooled to cryogenic temperatures, instead of crystallizing into ice, the chemicals clump together and become solid, molecularly similar to glass. And this new glass form prevents the cells from bursting and, theoretically, holds them in stasis forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, \u003Cstrong>recent advances in medicine have not proven yet that such complex systems as the human circulatory system or the brain can be “stored” with the help of anti-freeze material without causing damage\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Clive Coen, a professor of neuroscience at King’s College London says that on the one hand, the massively dense brain tissues cannot be handled by anti-freeze, and on the other, by the time the cryonics team arrives at the bedside of a patient who just passed away, some neurons are already irreversibly dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep-2.jpg\" alt=\"cryosleep, stasis chambers, cryonics\" class=\"wp-image-56029\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep-2.jpg 1792w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep-2-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F05\u002Fcryosleep-2-1536x878.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1792px) 100vw, 1792px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>No matter what, some people are still hopeful. For example, Anders Sandberg, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fhi.ox.ac.uk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">of Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute\u003C\u002Fa> (a research hub sadly closed down in April 2024), \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fscience\u002F2016\u002Fnov\u002F18\u002Fthe-cryonics-dilemma-will-deep-frozen-bodies-be-fit-for-new-life\">told The Guardian\u003C\u002Fa> that he would pay for his head to be frozen in the hope that the brain’s contents might be “downloaded” into a robotic agent in the future. He gives the freezing, thawing and reanimation process “maybe a 5% chance” of working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Want to be fit and well? Jump into a cryochamber!\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s understandable why people are not standing in huge lines in front of cryonics companies to be preserved upon death. At the same time, the idea of cryotherapies and the use of “freezing cold temperatures” for better health have become more and more popular in the last couple of years – especially since celebrities and sportsmen, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.health.harvard.edu\u002Fblog\u002Fcan-cryotherapy-stop-your-pain-cold-or-is-just-a-lot-of-hot-air-2018041813612\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Aniston, and LeBron James\u003C\u002Fa> embraced the technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Of course, the concept itself is nothing new – only the technology. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fprogrammes\u002Farticles\u002FXTsflSzkDtQDDygCr9FbRG\u002Fare-ice-baths-and-cold-water-really-that-good-for-us\" target=\"_blank\">Using cold water or hydrotherapy is an ancient practice\u003C\u002Fa>. Hippocrates recommended bathing in spring water to ‘allay lassitude’, and the ancient Egyptians turned it into an art form with essential oils and flowers. \u003Cstrong>If you ever placed a pack of ice on an injured muscle, you already used it and know the benefits. Here, the difference is that cryotherapy usually doesn’t use water or ice, only extremely low temperatures. In the case of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.webmd.com\u002Fpain-management\u002Fwhat-is-whole-body-cryotherapy\" target=\"_blank\">whole-body cryotherapy\u003C\u002Fa>, patients sit or step into a cryotherapy booth for 3-5 minutes. The method is used to relieve muscle pain, sprains and swelling after soft tissue damage or surgery. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It has to be noted, though, that in spite of its popularity, there’s no convincing evidence about its proven long-term advantages yet. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.health.harvard.edu\u002Fblog\u002Fcan-cryotherapy-stop-your-pain-cold-or-is-just-a-lot-of-hot-air-2018041813612\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">escalating claims of benefit and rising demand led the\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fda.gov\u002FForConsumers\u002FConsumerUpdates\u002Fucm508739.htm\">FDA to warn consumers\u003C\u002Fa> recently that, “If you decide to try whole-body cryotherapy, know that the FDA has not cleared or approved any of these devices for medical treatment of any specific medical conditions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, cryotherapy, cryosleep, and cryogenics are here to stay. Perhaps the popularity of cryotherapy will fade as “the next big thing” comes, maybe we will never know whether cryopreservation works, but cryosleep will definitely develop further – as the most promising technology for interstellar travels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":740,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>Cryosleep and cryonics are getting more and more attention. Here’s everything you need to know about cryosleep & cryogenic sleep chambers\u003C\u002Fp>\n",22137,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[233,234,5,744],801,[746,747,748,73,749,750,751,752,753,754,755,756,757,758,759],577,198,635,742,289,302,924,383,387,412,994,1088,1089,1090,[78,79],[],[763,764,765,86,766,87,767,768,769,770,771,772,773,774,775,776,90,777,778],1761,1583,1763,1765,1769,1747,1771,1749,1773,1751,1775,1753,1779,1755,1757,1759,[780,51,95,96,97,98,99,261,262,105,781,782,783,784,107,785,786,787,788,789,790,791,792,793,794,795,111,112],"post-22092","category-space-medicine","tag-space-travel","tag-death","tag-cryonics","tag-nasa","tag-innovation","tag-mars","tag-longevity","tag-science-fiction","tag-scifi","tag-space","tag-life","tag-cryosleep","tag-cryotherapy","tag-cryogenics",{"id":741,"alt_text":797,"caption":62,"description":797,"media_type":117,"media_details":798,"post":726,"source_url":824},"TMF, Cryosleep",{"width":799,"height":376,"file":800,"sizes":801,"image_meta":822},870,"2018\u002F10\u002F043_hibernation.png",{"medium":802,"large":805,"thumbnail":808,"medium_large":811,"large_old_512x288":812,"thumbnail_old_150x150":816,"medium_old_370x208":817,"medium_large_old_768x432":818,"large_old_512x288_old_512x288":819},{"file":803,"width":649,"height":650,"mime-type":127,"source_url":804},"043_hibernation-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F10\u002F043_hibernation-370x208.png",{"file":806,"width":655,"height":656,"mime-type":127,"source_url":807},"043_hibernation-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F10\u002F043_hibernation-768x432.png",{"file":809,"width":661,"height":661,"mime-type":127,"source_url":810},"043_hibernation-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F10\u002F043_hibernation-150x150.png",{"file":806,"width":655,"height":656,"mime-type":127,"source_url":807},{"file":813,"width":235,"height":814,"mime-type":127,"source_url":815},"043_hibernation-512x288.png",288,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F10\u002F043_hibernation-512x288.png",{"file":809,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":810},{"file":803,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":804},{"file":806,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":807},{"file":813,"width":820,"height":821,"mime-type":127,"source_url":815},"512","288",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145,"keywords":823},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F10\u002F043_hibernation.png",{"related_posts":16,"related_posts_footer":826,"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":830,"key_takeaways":834},[827,828,829],11902,24598,55791,[831,832,833],24764,37033,31417,[835,837,839],{"title":836},"\u003Cp>If we could make it work, it would really be a game-changer — from saving terminally ill patients, to solving one of the main problems of interstellar travels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":838},"\u003Cp>Recent advances in medicine have not proven yet that such complex systems as the human circulatory system or the brain can be “stored”, even with the help of anti-freeze material without causing damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":840},"\u003Cp>Nevertheless, more than 500 individuals and a few dozen pets had themselves cryonically preserved, and another four thousands are on the waiting lists for cryonic preservation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":842,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":843,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":734},"Cryosleep - An Overview of Cryonics, Cryosleep and Cryotherapy","Cryosleep and cryonics are getting more and more attention. Here's everything you need to know about cryosleep & cryogenic sleep chambers",{"self":845,"collection":850,"about":852,"author":854,"replies":856,"version-history":859,"predecessor-version":863,"wp:featuredmedia":867,"wp:attachment":870,"wp:term":873,"curies":884},[846],{"href":847,"targetHints":848},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F22092",{"allow":849},[27],[851],{"href":173},[853],{"href":176},[855],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[857],{"embeddable":41,"href":858},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=22092",[860],{"count":861,"href":862},31,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F22092\u002Frevisions",[864],{"id":865,"href":866},56131,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F22092\u002Frevisions\u002F56131",[868],{"embeddable":41,"href":869},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F22137",[871],{"href":872},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=22092",[874,876,878,880,882],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":875},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=22092",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":877},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=22092",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":879},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=22092",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":881},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=22092",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":883},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=22092",[885],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":887,"date":888,"date_gmt":889,"guid":890,"modified":892,"modified_gmt":893,"slug":894,"status":50,"type":51,"link":895,"title":896,"content":898,"excerpt":900,"author":59,"featured_media":902,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":903,"categories":904,"tags":905,"project_category":910,"contact_email_category":911,"yst_prominent_words":912,"class_list":919,"better_featured_image":925,"acf":947,"yoast_meta":959,"_links":962},13916,"2024-05-23T15:54:29","2024-05-23T13:54:29",{"rendered":891},"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?p=13916","2024-05-23T16:07:34","2024-05-23T14:07:34","healthcare-in-2060","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhealthcare-in-2060",{"rendered":897},"Looking Back At Today’s Healthcare In 2060",{"rendered":899,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>I receive many questions after my talks and on my online channels about the not-yet-visible future. People want to know what healthcare will be like in the next decades. But throwing around predictions will not help us design better healthcare. However, showing a utopian future for healthcare might do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003C!--more-->\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">On a chilly October afternoon in 2060,\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>after having watched the leaves falling off the trees in our garden for too long to get bored, my beautiful and overtly curious grandchild, Nina, came to me and started asking me questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F06\u002FTeaching-Kids-Health-Literacy-768x432.png\" alt=\"digital health literacy\" class=\"wp-image-24112\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F06\u002FTeaching-Kids-Health-Literacy-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F06\u002FTeaching-Kids-Health-Literacy-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F06\u002FTeaching-Kids-Health-Literacy-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F06\u002FTeaching-Kids-Health-Literacy-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F06\u002FTeaching-Kids-Health-Literacy.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>She pointed at one of the many sensors in the living room – small, simply designed cubes measuring air quality, temperature, humidity, noise, light, air pressure, that optimize our home environment based on our personal information. Nina asked whether I had ever lived in a house without sensor cubes. When I said yes, she looked at me with wide, marveling eyes and asked me to tell her how I had lived when I was young. She liked to ask about the past. I told her about the unbearable heat in third-floor apartments during hot summer nights without proper air-conditioning and the inconvenience it caused when you could not set the right amount of light for working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nina was satisfied with my responses, but I had the impression she still had something on her mind. I asked her about it. She told me that she heard a word from her fellow first-graders and she did not know what that was, but one of her friends, Lyanna, told her it was from the age when people did not use smart cubes at home, so she wanted to ask me and make sure I can answer the question. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So, I asked her, what that mysterious word was, and she said, hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I laughed out loud. Hospital. I have a grandchild who does not know what a hospital is. Isn’t she the sweetest (and for that matter the luckiest) girl in the universe?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And isn’t it amazing that she doesn’t know what a hospital is?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So, I told this charming little lady to come over and listen to her old, wrinkle-faced grandpa who will tell her the story of hospitals, doctors, nurses, pills – and pretty much how healthcare used to look like in the 2020s, in the barbaric, pre-technological era of medicine. Here is what I said: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“More than 40 years ago, patients had to go to huge and unfriendly buildings called hospitals to receive any kind of care and to measure vital signs or health parameters, for example how hearts and brains work. So when people fell sick, they had to go to that specific building instead of just getting care at home or wherever. And there, at the doctor’s office, you could not just go and see the physician. Sometimes you had to wait in line for hours while other people got checked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47078\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Do you remember, Nina, how mommy called up the doctor, she appeared on the screen and mommy showed her your ear when you said it hurt? And she also told her whether you had a fever, and what the device put into your ear for checking it properly, showed? And everything happened in your room, and also your friend, Gregor, the little salamander could be there? I wish it was so easy back in the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And by the way, back then, all doctors were actually humans\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I know that sounds very funny now, but back in those days, all doctors, and nurses I talked about were actually humans. There were no health robots, like Docco, in homes, no Dr. A.I. at your service 24\u002F7. When you needed a blood test, you had to go to a specific building, where a specific human took a lot of your blood with syringes. No, not just a few drops how Docco does it. A full vial!   \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Mommy told you that this method of how you speak with a doctor through the screen is called telemedicine, right? You know, back in the day it was just a shiny new thing which not many believed in. People had to travel from their homes to a different place to receive care. And as doctors were not as widely available as nowadays, sometimes people had to travel a lot. Sometimes by real ambulance cars with real drivers – no driverless cars and no drones delivering medical equipment were available.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No robo surgeons, either\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And there were no \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mayoclinic.org\u002Ftests-procedures\u002Frobotic-surgery\u002Fabout\u002Fpac-20394974\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">robo-surgeons\u003C\u002Fa> either, those were all real people, with no help from artificial intelligence or robots. I know it sounds scary, but they managed somehow. People obviously did not live that long, but even then they could cure a lot of diseases. Considering how these human doctors had to remember everything themselves, without the A.I. analysing all the patient data real-time, they actually did quite well.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You know, Nina, nowadays computers can send each other every health data that you have within a blink of an eye. In the 2020s not every device could communicate with each other, so sometimes physicians did not know about the patients and they had to ask for all the data and information that the other doctors and nurses already had. Again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And records on paper! \u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, they had to write down all the information, they used keyboards to type down information, not even looking at the patient or talking to them. And I think you are not going to believe this but some medical records were on paper. Yes, people wrote by hand on paper, like you draw those butterflies with the lilac pencil, and those were not even stored or analyzed later on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-52083\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_383.png 1820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nina, look at grandpa’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwiki\u002Fdigital-tattoo\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital tattoo\u003C\u002Fa> on his arm!\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Can you imagine that instead of this tiny and shiny metal lamina, doctors used as huge and expensive equipment as this living room? Measuring the electrical activity of your heart (ECG) or measuring blood pressure took time and effort – even for physicians. Medical devices were huge and scary like computers a century ago and patients had to travel to the machines to have very complex examinations, such as the so-called CT scan, by which various photos are taken from the otherwise not visible parts of your body or the MRI which examines parts of the body with the help of a magnetic field. There was also the problem called radiation, which means that invisible but harmful energy waves reached the body of the patients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Printing organs was just an idea for the future\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And back then doctors could not even print an organ if you needed one. A malfunctioning heart or kidney was considered a life-threatening condition, and new organs could only come from other human beings. So, please don’t get scared, but people had to use the hearts and livers and lungs and kidneys of others who just died. And as these organs were not specifically printed for you, sometimes they did not even work properly. The scientists had been thinking about printing tissues but had a hard time figuring out \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwyss.harvard.edu\u002Ftechnology\u002F3d-bioprinting\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">how to do it\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And some people could even go blind. Forever\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Do you remember when Mr. Simmith had all that trouble with his eyes last year? And he had to have his neurons checked, and the lab has grown him a bionic chip with his neurons populating it, and he had it implanted. And now his eyes are working as well as before, and he can read everything easily. This was not like that when I was young. Some people could actually have so much trouble with their vision that they went completely blind. Oh, that means that they don’t see anything at all. Nothing. It was because in the 2020s, they could not just easily connect the biochips with your neurons. Some scientists have been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mayoclinic.org\u002Fdiseases-conditions\u002Fdry-macular-degeneration\u002Fmultimedia\u002Fbionic-eye-video\u002Fvid-20133293\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dreaming about it\u003C\u002Fa>, but nobody could do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No supercomputers analysing all the data in seconds\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You know, Nina that you can ask things from your little tablet, and it will eventually find you an answer? Right, I told you already that there is a technology called artificial intelligence through which devices learn a lot about you – like you do about the letters in first grade – and they eventually will give you the solution to problems that might arise. It takes just seconds to find those answers. Now, can you imagine that doctors back in the day had to do searches in huge databases (like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpubmed\" target=\"_blank\">Pubmed\u003C\u002Fa>) to find the information somewhere in hidden studies? They had to mine the database themselves and artificial intelligence could not help them? That it would last days or even weeks to read through the irrelevant data to find the right answer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And the same pill for everyone, without it being personalised to your genome\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Also, do you remember that the other day mommy and I went to the pharmacy with you and you observed how the 3D printer machine \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fphys.org\u002Fnews\u002F2024-05-easy-pill-swallow-3d-paves.html\" target=\"_blank\">printed the pills prescribed by your doctor\u003C\u002Fa>? Now, listen. In the 2020s, medicine was produced by pharma companies who had made the same drugs for decades and made the same dosage for millions. Everyone received the same pills – there was no personalized medicine. So, you and Gregor would have got the same, even if you had some kind of allergy and Gregor wouldn’t. Back then \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0378517324003740?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">researchers believed in 3D-printed drugs\u003C\u002Fa>, but most everyday folks have never heard of them. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Kind of Medications Can 3D Printers Create? - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fg0jkNl7Dj3Q?start=3&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I think I also told you some stories about the tiniest bits of our body, the DNA and how with the technique of genome sequencing as they call it, you can get to know more about hidden weaknesses in your organism and use that “secret” data in healing you. Right, Nina? But there was no chance of knowing so much medical information about the person in the 2020s, thus grandpa could have received a drug in a dosage that would have led to serious side effects if he were too sensitive to the particular treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New drugs were tested on animals and humans\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I remember how the invention and innovation of new treatments and healthcare methods took forever and the authorization of regulatory agencies even more – some patients literally died while waiting for a new cure. Back in the day, clinical trials were long and unbelievably expensive. Moreover, drugs were tested on patients – not on algorithms and physiological models, but on real people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And hospitals were run by humans, not supercomputers\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You not only had to stay in hospitals but infections were commonly acquired while being hospitalized. As there was no algorithm to supervise the process of care, people made mistakes repeatedly. In the 2020s, medical errors were the third most common cause of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hospitals were run by managers, not supercomputers. Every decision was subjective and not backed by huge amounts of data. Also, physicians worked in an unquantifiable way. Actually, nobody knew whether they were successful or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I recall that epidemiology studies were slow and it took a lot of time to deal with a new infection and develop vaccines in case of epidemics. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cancer was considered dramatic\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Cancer was considered a dramatic life event and not a chronic disease for decades. There was no effective cure or treatment for a long-long time. And even if there were some personalised treatments, people had to pay for them, and only rich people could get them. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Health insurance companies mostly lacked any kind of quantified data. They only knew the age and gender of their insured patients and that’s how they made business decisions. And one of the most important factors: patients were not equal partners of physicians, as they prescribed treatments without asking them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nina? Are you listening?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>How come she always falls asleep when I talk about the past? I think these stories are better for her than fairy tales. As I was looking at her face with her eyes shut, breathing smoothly in and out, I thought maybe it is for the best that she fell asleep, I have some information about the 2020s which I could not share with this sweet child anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Well, that’s how I imagine\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>it will be when my future self talks to my grandchild about healthcare and medicine in ‘the barbaric era’ of the 2020s. Okay, sometimes she won’t fall asleep but asks me to bring her some ice cream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The point is that I’m optimistic that when I will talk about healthcare in the early 21st century to my grandchildren, they will find many of my stories amusing because they are so unrealistically remote from their experiences. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Today, patients are still not equal partners with their caregivers; innovative treatments are not affordable in many places worldwide; and prevention is not even in the top 3 priorities. People do not use cheap sensors to get to know their own health better. Physicians still have to dive into dozens of publications to stay up-to-date when there are millions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To sum it up, all the technological progress I see as The Medical Futurist makes me say we still live in a barbaric era of healthcare and we have a lot of work to do – such as \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-promise-of-crispr-gpt-specialized-chatgpts-could-transform-medicine\" target=\"_blank\">embracing disruptive technologies\u003C\u002Fa>, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F3-reasons-why-patient-design-must-replace-the-patient-centricity-illusion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">empowering patients\u003C\u002Fa>, digitizing \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-evolution-of-clinical-documentation-from-paper-to-ai\" target=\"_blank\">healthcare information\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Flifestyle-medicine-could-be-the-key-for-digital-health-adoption\" target=\"_blank\">shifting focus from treatment to prevention\u003C\u002Fa> – to fulfill at least some of the fantasies above so that the conversation with my granddaughter decades from now might have a similar tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":901,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>Can you image there were times when people had to wait for other people’s death to have a new liver instead of just printing it? When drugs are not personalised to your genome, and peple could die of cancer?! \u003C\u002Fp>\n",30365,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[375,5],[73,500,906,75,907,908,909],308,355,425,519,[],[],[913,764,514,85,515,914,87,915,916,917,918],4111,1715,1979,2281,2605,4103,[920,51,95,96,97,98,99,398,105,107,534,921,109,922,923,924],"post-13916","tag-medical-education","tag-personalized-medicine","tag-technology-2","tag-gc4",{"id":902,"alt_text":62,"caption":926,"description":927,"media_type":117,"media_details":928,"post":945,"source_url":946},"Medical drone on its way to the hospital","We collected what trends and technologies will have an impact on the future of emergency medicine.",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":929,"sizes":930,"image_meta":944},"2020\u002F09\u002Freverse_innovations.png",{"medium":931,"large":934,"thumbnail":937,"medium_large":940,"1536x1536":941},{"file":932,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":933},"reverse_innovations-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F09\u002Freverse_innovations-370x208.png",{"file":935,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":936},"reverse_innovations-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F09\u002Freverse_innovations-768x432.png",{"file":938,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":939},"reverse_innovations-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F09\u002Freverse_innovations-150x150.png",{"file":935,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":936},{"file":942,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":943},"reverse_innovations-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F09\u002Freverse_innovations-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},null,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F09\u002Freverse_innovations.png",{"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":948,"related_posts_footer":949,"related_posts":16,"key_takeaways":952},[151,298,832],[829,950,951],15279,13255,[953,955,957],{"title":954},"\u003Cp>To shape the future we desire, it’s worth occasionally “looking back,” considering which aspects of the present need change when viewed from an ideal future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":956},"\u003Cp>In today’s healthcare system, we can identify numerous practices that our (great)grandchildren might perceive as incredibly barbaric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":958},"\u003Cp>Let’s explore what might astonish a child born a few decades from now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":960,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":961,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":895},"Looking Back At Today’s Healthcare In 2060 - The Medical Futurist","Can you image people had to wait for other people's death to have a new liver? And drugs were not personalised and you could die of cancer?!",{"self":963,"collection":968,"about":970,"author":972,"replies":974,"version-history":977,"predecessor-version":981,"wp:featuredmedia":985,"wp:attachment":988,"wp:term":991,"curies":1002},[964],{"href":965,"targetHints":966},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F13916",{"allow":967},[27],[969],{"href":173},[971],{"href":176},[973],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[975],{"embeddable":41,"href":976},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=13916",[978],{"count":979,"href":980},48,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F13916\u002Frevisions",[982],{"id":983,"href":984},56239,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F13916\u002Frevisions\u002F56239",[986],{"embeddable":41,"href":987},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F30365",[989],{"href":990},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=13916",[992,994,996,998,1000],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":993},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=13916",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":995},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=13916",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":997},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=13916",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":999},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=13916",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1001},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=13916",[1003],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1005,"date":1006,"date_gmt":1007,"guid":1008,"modified":1010,"modified_gmt":1011,"slug":1012,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1013,"title":1014,"content":1016,"excerpt":1018,"author":59,"featured_media":1020,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1021,"categories":1022,"tags":1023,"project_category":1029,"contact_email_category":1030,"yst_prominent_words":1031,"class_list":1036,"better_featured_image":1043,"acf":1069,"yoast_meta":1075,"_links":1078},40839,"2024-03-18T22:34:00","2024-03-18T21:34:00",{"rendered":1009},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=40839&_wpnonce=9f039c0873&status=auto-draft&type=post","2024-06-02T18:39:45","2024-06-02T16:39:45","social-robots-are-robotic-pets-any-worse-than-the-real-ones","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fsocial-robots-are-robotic-pets-any-worse-than-the-real-ones",{"rendered":1015},"Social Companion Robots: Are Robotic Pets Any Worse Than The Real Ones?",{"rendered":1017,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>Social \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-top-12-social-companion-robots\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">companion robots\u003C\u002Fa> are getting increasingly popular, more widely used and accepted. This might have happened anyway, but the pandemic accelerated the pace of their “deployment”.  Not so surprising, many social workers have experienced that COVID restrictions took a huge toll on elderly people living alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The loneliness of the ageing population is a known phenomenon. A vast amount of research has found that a significant percentage of people above 65 are \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.msdmanuals.com\u002Fprofessional\u002Fgeriatrics\u002Fsocial-issues-in-older-adults\u002Folder-adults-living-alone\" target=\"_blank\">living alone\u003C\u002Fa>, and many of them feel lonely and isolated. Also well proven is the fact that loneliness alone is a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.news-medical.net\u002Fhealth\u002FWhat-are-the-Health-Effects-of-Loneliness.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">health risk\u003C\u002Fa>. Elevated cortisol levels, the physical symptoms caused by the mental strain resulting in more inflammatory diseases, declined immune functions, elevated cardiovascular risks increase mortality as much as would smoking, the lack of exercise or severe obesity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>How to tackle this problem when all social interactions were more or less banned, or at least advised against? Many of the social workers tried to find an answer to this dilemma. Some of them came up with the idea of distributing some kind of robotic companion among their patients. In fact, there were quite a number of initiatives along these lines around the world these past years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FJoy-for-all-tabby-robot-cat-768x466.png\" alt=\"Joy or all robot pet\" class=\"wp-image-40841\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FJoy-for-all-tabby-robot-cat-768x466.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FJoy-for-all-tabby-robot-cat-1536x933.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FJoy-for-all-tabby-robot-cat.png 1779w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tabby cat from Joy for all\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We have seen the NY programs giving out \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.govtech.com\u002Fhealth\u002Fyonkers-aging-office-uses-robopets-to-combat-senior-isolation\" target=\"_blank\">Joy for all robot pets\u003C\u002Fa> to people living alone, Canada experimenting with \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC8808201\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">robot-comrades\u003C\u002Fa> since the 2016 introduction of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbc.ca\u002Fnews\u002Fcanada\u002Ftoronto\u002Frobot-alzheimers-1.3696249\" target=\"_blank\">Ludwig\u003C\u002Fa>, and some elderly care facilities in Ireland introducing \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.irishtimes.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Finnovation\u002Fthe-irish-robot-helping-older-people-live-independently-1.4628719\" target=\"_blank\">Stevie\u003C\u002Fa> to their residents. And we could go on and on with the examples of social robots involved in elderly care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>How good is it to have a social robot for your mental health?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The first thing that most likely comes into your mind is that humans need humans to connect with. Trying to substitute personal relationships with a mechanic creature with some form of artificial intelligence must be not right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly though, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Facademic.oup.com\u002Finnovateage\u002Farticle\u002F5\u002FSupplement_1\u002F41\u002F6464889\" target=\"_blank\">research\u003C\u002Fa> after \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs11370-021-00394-3\" target=\"_blank\">research\u003C\u002Fa> finds the same thing: a vast number of lonely people with furry robotic pets, or smiling bulky robotic chat partners consistently report an improvement in their well-being. They understand that the companion is a robot, but find their presence relaxing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This raises some interesting questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>But hey, companion robots are just fake!\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Not surprisingly there are several distinctly different lines of thought about the topic of how to relate to social robots. It ranges from flat-out refusal to optimistic acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The negative attitude is easy to understand. This is just not real. Robotic pets are not real pets, robotic chat partners are not chat partners, robotic companions are fake. And everyone trying to ease the hardships of lonely ageing people with robots is just trying to get out of society’s responsibility of taking good care of the generation of our grandparents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If we look at the topic from this angle – many argue – it is painfully obvious how developed (and ageing) societies fail to maintain the necessary interaction among the generations, and how they let down old people living alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FStevie-helping-an-elderly-patient-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"Stevie the robot helps an elderly patient\" class=\"wp-image-40845\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FStevie-helping-an-elderly-patient-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FStevie-helping-an-elderly-patient-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FStevie-helping-an-elderly-patient.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stevie helps an elderly patient in Ireland\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Are companion robots so much different from pet companions?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But there is another way to look at this, and this is very inspiringly discussed in Kate Darling’s book, the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.amazon.com\u002FNew-Breed-History-Animals-Reveals\u002Fdp\u002F1250296102\" target=\"_blank\">New Breed\u003C\u002Fa>. Among other topics, the book suggests we could examine our relationship with robots in the light of our relationship with pets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The argument is clear, and for me, convincing. It says that when we look at elderly people having animal companions (real ones this time), it is obvious that they are not humans, and cannot provide the same kind of connectedness a human relationship does. Despite this, it is also clear that having a beloved pet does good for elderly people. It improves the quality of their lives, and no one ever would think about suggesting to take them away on the basis that they are not the real thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We are not worried about pets replacing future human relationships, we see them as supplemental. We might anthropomorphize our pets to some extent, and we may also do the same to our robot companions, but we will never mistake them for a real human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You could of course argue that real pets are real, and robotic pets are not real. That is true. But for a large number of seniors, having a real pet is not an option. They might have limited mobility, not allowing them to take a dog outside multiple times a day, or clean the cat’s litter box. Maybe they cannot take the responsibility or the financial burden of a living animal. But they do enjoy the furry, realistic-looking creature being around, reacting to their daily routine and offering them interactions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We can look at it as very sad. Or we can look at social robots as many robot pet owners do: with joy for making days less lonely, less depressing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Companion \u003Cstrong>Robots can assist some children therapies better than pets or humans\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Another great example the book cites is that of children involved in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) therapy. Many affected kids have serious difficulty in maintaining human interactions, a facet of the problem therapies aim to remedy. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A lot of these ASD therapies are repetitive, and involve constantly telling the kids what they do wrong. Scarz lab came up with the idea of using Ellie, a robot head, repeatedly making social mistakes. Instead of an adult telling the kids what they do wrong, the kids are to teach Ellie what she should do, offering a different way to master the skills they need to practise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FRobot-and-child-together-768x315.jpg\" alt=\"robot and child\" class=\"wp-image-40843\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FRobot-and-child-together-768x315.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FRobot-and-child-together.jpg 1268w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robots may assist children in therapies in ways humans cannot\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ellie will make a number of social mistakes, like avoiding eye contact, interrupting the one speaking and so on. The kids are to correct the way Ellie behaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This obviously could not be done with animal therapy: no animal would be able to model these social situations. And maybe not so surprisingly, it also cannot be done involving humans. The researchers tried to do that, they invited friendly actors to make mistakes, and asked the kids to help them. But the same children who were happy to interact with Ellie refused to interact with a nice lady. They saw through the situation and were too deterred to interact with a real person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As adding animals to a number of therapies provided benefits human therapists could not achieve, the same seems to be true for adding robots to some therapies: they can provide assistance neither humans nor pets can offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1019,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>As adding animals to a number of therapies provided benefits human therapists could not achieve, the same seems to be true for adding robots to some therapies: they can provide assistance neither humans nor pets can offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",40893,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,488,234,235,5],[1024,1025,1026,1027,1028],1055,6541,7535,7537,1042,[78,79,80],[],[764,1032,1033,1034,1035],2191,2373,2387,2407,[1037,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,523,262,263,105,1038,1039,1040,1041,1042,111,112,113],"post-40839","tag-elderly-care","tag-social-robots","tag-therapeutic-robots","tag-robot-pets","tag-social-companion-robot",{"id":1020,"alt_text":1044,"caption":62,"description":1045,"media_type":117,"media_details":1046,"post":1005,"source_url":1068},"social robots companion","social robots, social companions, A.I. artificial intelligence",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1047,"sizes":1048,"image_meta":1067},"2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots.png",{"medium":1049,"large":1052,"thumbnail":1055,"medium_large":1058,"1536x1536":1059,"2048x2048":1062},{"file":1050,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1051},"tmf_social-robots-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-370x208.png",{"file":1053,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1054},"tmf_social-robots-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-768x432.png",{"file":1056,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1057},"tmf_social-robots-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-150x150.png",{"file":1053,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1054},{"file":1060,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1061},"tmf_social-robots-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-1536x864.png",{"file":1063,"width":1064,"height":1065,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1066},"tmf_social-robots-2048x1152.png","2048","1152","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots-2048x1152.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Ftmf_social-robots.png",{"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":1070,"related_posts_footer":1071,"related_posts":16,"key_takeaways":16},[298,833],[1072,1073,1074],14445,13109,14229,{"yoast_wpseo_title":1076,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1077,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1013},"Social Companion Robots: Robotic pets are not real pets","What do companion robots do? Adding social robots to some therapies: and healthcare situations can provide assistance neither humans nor pets can offer.",{"self":1079,"collection":1084,"about":1086,"author":1088,"replies":1090,"version-history":1093,"predecessor-version":1096,"wp:featuredmedia":1100,"wp:attachment":1103,"wp:term":1106,"curies":1117},[1080],{"href":1081,"targetHints":1082},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F40839",{"allow":1083},[27],[1085],{"href":173},[1087],{"href":176},[1089],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[1091],{"embeddable":41,"href":1092},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=40839",[1094],{"count":369,"href":1095},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F40839\u002Frevisions",[1097],{"id":1098,"href":1099},56365,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F40839\u002Frevisions\u002F56365",[1101],{"embeddable":41,"href":1102},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F40893",[1104],{"href":1105},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=40839",[1107,1109,1111,1113,1115],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1108},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=40839",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1110},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=40839",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1112},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=40839",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1114},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=40839",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1116},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=40839",[1118],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1120,"date":1121,"date_gmt":1122,"guid":1123,"modified":1125,"modified_gmt":1126,"slug":1127,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1128,"title":1129,"content":1131,"excerpt":1133,"author":59,"featured_media":1135,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1136,"categories":1137,"tags":1143,"project_category":1149,"contact_email_category":1150,"yst_prominent_words":1151,"class_list":1156,"better_featured_image":1168,"acf":1189,"yoast_meta":1204,"_links":1206},32197,"2023-11-21T10:00:00","2023-11-21T09:00:00",{"rendered":1124},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=32197&_wpnonce=33632050e7&status=auto-draft&type=post","2023-11-23T11:57:25","2023-11-23T10:57:25","superhumans","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fsuperhumans",{"rendered":1130},"Will We All Have To Become Biologically Enhanced Superhumans?",{"rendered":1132,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>Okay, hands up who can tell who’s the most famous biologically enhanced superhuman in the world? True, it’s a quite close call between Captain America and The Incredible Hulk (sorry Spidey, you’re not even close). But are human-invented superhumans just a thing of a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FStan_Lee\" target=\"_blank\">Stan Lee comic\u003C\u002Fa>, or is it an actual scientific idea from a real laboratory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As a matter of fact, enhancing human capabilities has been on the minds of people for ages, but it has come a long way from ancient training methods to exoskeletons. Enhancing our abilities, be it permanently or temporarily is a tempting but risky matter. Will it be possible in the not-too-far future to gear up superhuman powers so we don’t lag behind the others? Let’s dive in and see how (and if) we can be our better selves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21851\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero.png 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero-512x288.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Superhuman – with the help of technology\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A brief history of human enhancement\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>First, we need to ask what ‘enhancement’ exactly is. Throughout history, the enhancement of humans by various tools from physical addendums (remember \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.primaryancientgreeks.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdaidalos-ikaros\" target=\"_blank\">Icaros\u003C\u002Fa>?) to drugs (from ferocious Viking “\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.historyextra.com\u002Fperiod\u002Fviking\u002Fthe-truth-about-viking-berserkers\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">berserkers\u003C\u002Fa>” to the Nazi army or East German swimmers – or many of the cyclists still today), or even love (just google ‘\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FSacred_Band_of_Thebes\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Band of Thebes\u003C\u002Fa>’) have been on the minds of leaders, military chiefs or inventors alike. Or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=bxiKqA-u8y4&ab_channel=TheSchoolofLife\" target=\"_blank\">philosophers\u003C\u002Fa>, as a matter of fact. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The urge to live forever has not passed with our predecessors, let’s take a look at Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint project with its straightforward goal: \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprotocol.bryanjohnson.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">don’t die\u003C\u002Fa>. Granted, most of us don’t have 30 doctors and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Ffeatures\u002F2023-01-25\u002Fanti-aging-techniques-taken-to-extreme-by-bryan-johnson?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTY3NDc1MjE5MiwiZXhwIjoxNjc1MzU2OTkyLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJSUDFGV0xEV1JHRzQwMSIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJFNUUzM0M0NzlCOTA0MjU2OTRGRTU1NTg5OTQ4N0FBOSJ9.cWlkQxMxDlCY3A2nkIt6Fy2fciMLM0nsY8uS2T7Vhug&sref=nPlhheXZ\" target=\"_blank\">millions of dollars\u003C\u002Fa> to spend on enhancing ourselves in all possible ways. On top of that, I feel a slight contrast between his efforts and the initiative to sell extra virgin olive oil as the omnipotent elixir to the less fortunate. But we can’t deny he has gone the extra mile in every possible way to make the most of what money and science offer today and I truly appreciate the dedication here. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, biological enhancement is a much deeper issue.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The dawn of digital health brought an era of technological advancements and within, the recreation of the human body or body parts or -functions came within reach. It started as a restoration of a certain human function, like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.asrs.org\u002Fretina-times\u002Fdetails\u002F131\u002Ffda-approves-world-first-artificial-retina\" target=\"_blank\">eyesight\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uclhospitals.brc.nihr.ac.uk\u002Fresearch\u002Fprogrammes\u002Fdeafness-hearing-problems\" target=\"_blank\">hearing\u003C\u002Fa>, or the replacement of a missing limb. Technologies like CRISPR gene editing, nanotechnology and even the revolution of wearables and sensors brought new possibilities in human enhancement, and although longevity is still far away for many, living longer and possibly healthier is a de facto case for the human race. (That is, if we survive the climate catastrophe we created.) \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The science of it also has a philosophical backing called \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FTranshumanism\" target=\"_blank\">transhumanism\u003C\u002Fa>; a movement that “\u003Cem>advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies that can greatly enhance longevity and cognition.\u003C\u002Fem>” The concept states that humankind will evolve into a new intelligent species. That is yet to be seen, however: current affairs indicate no such evolution. But \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-scotland-49893869\" target=\"_blank\">transhumanists\u003C\u002Fa> live and\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fcalumchace\u002F2023\u002F02\u002F01\u002Fpioneering-transhumanism-a-conversation-with-natasha-vita-more\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"> strive among us\u003C\u002Fa>. And sometimes episodes of the series \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-our-brains-health-in-black-mirror\" target=\"_blank\">Black Mirror\u003C\u002Fa> have more links to reality than we wish. To know more, read our \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fzoltan-istvan-and-the-jesus-singularity\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">in-depth interview\u003C\u002Fa> with one of the world’s most influential transhumanists, Zoltan Istvan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1.png\" alt=\"Black Mirror\" class=\"wp-image-22306\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1.png 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1-512x288.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There is a variety of fields where a superhuman feature could potentially be created. And that will not be the result of a single discipline but of the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fobamawhitehouse.archives.gov\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fmicrosites\u002Fostp\u002Fbioecon-%28%23%20023SUPP%29%20NSF-NBIC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">convergence\u003C\u002Fa> of multiple scientific fields. Currently, these have a restorative focus rather than a developmental one, although each can evolve towards that in the future. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-human-to-cyborg\" target=\"_blank\">In this article\u003C\u002Fa>, we split the possible directions into 3 main categories:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Removable cyborg extensions\u003C\u002Fstrong> – the tools enhancing the individual can easily be put away at the end of use\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cyborg-humans\u003C\u002Fstrong> – technologies causing lasting, but not irreversible transformation like prosthetic limbs, digital tattoos and bionic implants\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Technologies changing humans forever\u003C\u002Fstrong> – genetic editing (such as CRISPR) is the one that raises the most ethical and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-most-pressing-issues-in-bioethics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">moral questions\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>This time we categorize the possibilities for enhancements horizontally and have a look at 5 fields where human enhancements would be possible.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Brainpower\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A microchip in the brain that will enhance our cognitive functions by a zillion – how we all could use such a thing during exams! The concept was first raised back in 1968 by architect Nicholas Negroponte at MIT, and it has come a long way since. Hacking the human brain is more difficult than we could imagine and cannot be solved with a single microchip implant. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But Elon Musk’s \u003Cem>other\u003C\u002Fem> company, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fneuralink.com\u002Fapproach\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Neuralink\u003C\u002Fa> aims to do just that. The idea is to have a chip implanted in one’s brain; that neural implant will let you control a computer or mobile device anywhere you go. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since Musk \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=CLUWDLKAF1M\" target=\"_blank\">presented the pigs with the implants\u003C\u002Fa> and in 2023 the company is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2023\u002F9\u002F19\u002F23880861\u002Fneuralink-human-clinical-trial-n1-implant\" target=\"_blank\">recruiting human candidates\u003C\u002Fa> with quadriplegia for a six-year clinical trial. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But seeing what Elon Musk did to that poor pig, it did not at all look like the future. We at The Medical Futurist often say that before the digital health transformation, a cultural shift is inevitable. But having a neural implant somehow gives me the creeps – even if it could give me superpowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Brain-computer interface\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With less media hype, Synchron, a company that has developed a minimally invasive brain-computer interface is further along the way. Their implant actually has been working in at least two patients for quite a long time and has now enrolled six patients with severe quadriparesis. The current trial runs in three clinical trial sites in the US. The Synchron implant does not require open brain surgery as it is implanted in the blood vessel on the surface of the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein, through a minimally-invasive endovascular procedure. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Brain Implant That Turns Your Thoughts Into Text | Tom Oxley | TED\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F7Fiaew7nDmE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Once implanted, it is designed to detect and wirelessly transmit motor intent out of the brain, intended to restore the capability for severely paralysed patients to control personal devices with hands-free point-and-click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Researchers have been investigating the possibilities of brain-computer interfaces or BCIs for quite a while now. At first, these were thought to be tools on one hand to provide constant monitoring of the brain’s electrical activity; this could support a wide range of applications from monitoring epilepsy or ADHD to pain management and sleep assessment. On the other hand, the concept was thought to be a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2020\u002F10\u002Fwhat-brain-computer-interfaces-could-mean-for-the-future-of-work\" target=\"_blank\">solution for paralysed people\u003C\u002Fa> to move and control things around them with only thoughts… Taking it onto the next level, such an implant could also be used as an external hard drive for the mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Enhancing cognitive performance would be able to change the lives of millions suffering from memory loss, and neurological or psychological disorders. Restorative processes like stroke rehabilitation would also gain from the technology. Or, as a matter of fact, these can help reduce the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.frontiersin.org\u002Farticles\u002F10.3389\u002Ffnins.2020.00692\u002Ffull\" target=\"_blank\">cognitive effects of ageing\u003C\u002Fa>. No wonder there are many studies that focus on the possibilities such technology can provide \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC7339951\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">for seniors\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Muscle strength and robotic exoskeletons\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There is a huge cultural acceptance issue with technological solutions for restoration vs. tech for boosting performance. According to a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblogs.scientificamerican.com\u002Fobservations\u002Fwhat-americans-think-of-human-enhancement-technologies\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">study on the matter\u003C\u002Fa>, the public almost unanimously agrees with technological enhancement if it’s used for restorative purposes: 95% support physical restorative applications, and 88% support cognitive restorative applications. But when it comes to the enhancement of human capabilities for the reason of boosting performance – well, that’s a big no-no, according to the study. Only 35% of respondents agree with the concept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paralysed Man Completes London Marathon 2018\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FaB0pfAL6MdU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Robotic exoskeletons are also becoming more and more common. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Ftopics\u002Fengineering\u002Fexoskeleton-robotics\" target=\"_blank\">Paralyzed\u003C\u002Fa> people or those who lost a limb have now the chance to move again with such technological advancements. Certain industries like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdozr.com\u002Fblog\u002Fconstruction-exoskeletons\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">construction\u003C\u002Fa> also make use of the extra power robotics can give. The next step will be the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-prosthetics-depends-on-a-i\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">AI-powered prosthesis\u003C\u002Fa>; or ones that can supplement healthy individuals with additional limbs. Not to mention a future where we \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FWTdfTupF7fs\" target=\"_blank\">share bodies and senses\u003C\u002Fa> with machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But what are advanced technologies worth if only the wealthiest can afford them? That has been the case with many exoskeletons therefore it’s so great to see \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.therobotreport.com\u002Frewalk-robotics-announces-solidified-medicare-coverage-for-personal-exoskeleton\u002F\">more and more covered by health insurance\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2023 October ReWalk Robotics, Inc. announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule benefitting its exoskeleton technology. “Earlier this year, CMS released a proposal aiming to establish new regulatory definition of “brace.” Adding the definition of brace would expedite coverage and payment for newer technology and powered devices, according to CMS. This potentially enables faster access to the newer technologies, like those made by ReWalk and Myomo as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The new CMS proposal includes personal exoskeletons in the Medicare benefit category for braces meaning that benefits would extend to exoskeletons which allow paralyzed patients to stand and walk. This follows a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.therobotreport.com\u002Fexoskeletons-qualify-for-direct-disability-compensation-in-germany\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">similar announcement from Germany\u003C\u002Fa> from 2022. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Enhancing the senses\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What if technology could aid humans to have better hearing than bats? What if we could filter out the smell of urban decay and only experience pleasant odours? Or what if implants could let us see microscopic objects? Or special features, such as the heat map of an abandoned terrain? These questions led us to list how technology could help augment human senses in our previous article. One exciting example of this was the AI-supported hearing aid presented at the 2021 CES. This device features an onboard deep neural network that gives people with hearing loss a better experience. And there are many more examples of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Supercharging human senses with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medgadget.com\u002F2023\u002F11\u002Fglasses-provide-audible-prompts-for-blind-wearers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">technology for the blind\u003C\u002Fa> or the deaf are entirely feasible enhancements. When a person loses a sense, the area of the brain that was responsible for handling that sensory information does not go unused. The \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.jneurosci.org\u002Fcontent\u002F32\u002F28\u002F9626.abstract?sid=554f9c9c-ec7e-4c33-87a0-3f2416e52e24\" target=\"_blank\">brain rewires itself\u003C\u002Fa> and uses that area to process other senses. This is \u003Cem>neuroplasticity\u003C\u002Fem>, the ability of the brain to change with experience. Researchers “just” need to find out how to use this natural superpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Temporary or long-term sensory enhancements are also not limited to the ones with certain disabilities: the technology goes beyond that. In the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Freferenceworkentry\u002F10.1007%2F978-94-007-4707-4_106\" target=\"_blank\">Handbook of Neuroethics\u003C\u002Fa>, the authors explain that the enhancement tools “\u003Cem>could be implemented in mainly two ways: either via the application of digital technology or by genetic engineering of the human body\u003C\u002Fem>.” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ericsson.com\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002F2018\u002F7\u002Faugmented-reality-gives-us-super-human-abilities-and-a-sixth-sense\" target=\"_blank\">Augmented reality\u003C\u002Fa> just takes this realm a step further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"One-minute Challenge: Augmented Reality - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FxUaBrgsHkPs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Augmented reality is not only \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Faugmented-reality-in-healthcare-will-be-revolutionary\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">revolutionary\u003C\u002Fa> but can also give us real superpowers. It is one of the most promising digital health technologies, from \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.timesofisrael.com\u002Fin-global-first-shaare-zedek-spine-surgeon-combines-augmented-reality-with-robotics\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">operations\u003C\u002Fa> to providing \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FWg6jN-audEM\" target=\"_blank\">information\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FPzPKdlFbvYM\" target=\"_blank\">education\u003C\u002Fa>. Heightened capabilities of our vision by AR, VR, digital contact lenses or even retina chips have been bugging the minds of researchers for the past decade. And although many of the concepts \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-theranos-to-google-glass-the-biggest-flops-in-digital-health\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">have failed\u003C\u002Fa> (remember Google’s glass or glucose-level measuring contact lenses?), these flops don’t necessarily mean the concepts are wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Genetic engineering – a brave new world?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A lot of research is underway in gene therapies. CRISPR editing was a huge step in this direction. While its original vision, to serve as a tool offering \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2023\u002F03\u002F07\u002F1069475\u002Fforget-designer-babies-heres-how-crispr-is-really-changing-lives\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gene therapies for patients\u003C\u002Fa> is noble and just, there is a significant, primarily moral and ethical resistance against the method. For example, researchers in Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.ox.ac.uk\u002Fresearch\u002Fresearch-impact\u002Frestoring-sight-gene-therapy\" target=\"_blank\">help restore eyesight\u003C\u002Fa> to patients with genetic vision defects with gene therapy, which seems acceptable as a method; while genetic engineering \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fnuffieldbioethics.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">on an embryo-level\u003C\u002Fa> is more of a moral issue than a scientific one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While CRISPR therapies are still considered experimental, and none have been approved, and some even have been unsuccessful, we’ve also seen \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2023\u002F03\u002F10\u002F1069619\u002Fmore-than-200-people-treated-with-experimental-crispr-therapies\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">some success stories\u003C\u002Fa> and several \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2023\u002F10\u002F25\u002F1082306\u002Fgene-editing-crispr-hiv-experiment\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">creepier announcements\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Editing DNA can become a powerful tool in the diagnosis and the treatment of diseases. The European Union is trying to add the ethical component on the first level of its scientific programme in the genetic engineering leg of its human enhancement project. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsienna-project.eu\u002Fgenomics\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Sienna\u003C\u002Fa>, and other such organisations and projects also raise and include ethical issues in their projects. However, with such technologies becoming more available, cases like the creation of first \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-a-chinese-scientist-broke-the-rules-to-create-the-first-gene-edited-babies-11557506697\" target=\"_blank\">designer babies in China\u003C\u002Fa> appear. After this scandal, the WHO launched a global registry to track research on human genome editing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Transhumanists predict that with the convergence of new technologies in science, we could create healthier, smarter and stronger humans. They think it’s our duty to evolve into something beyond ourselves. But as much as I love science, my idea of a happier life does not begin with being faster and stronger. It begins with the core values of humankind: empathy, tolerance and kindness. And if we can cure something or someone with the help of science, we should do that. But my brave new world shall not take place in \u003Cem>Gattaca\u003C\u002Fem>. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Read more about these concepts in my book \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.amazon.com\u002FMy-Health-Revolutionary-Technologies-Healthier\u002Fdp\u002F6158026107\" target=\"_blank\">My Health Upgraded\u003C\u002Fa>, elaborating on where health care and medicine is heading in the future. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh5>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Ca class=\"img\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.amazon.com\u002FMy-Health-Revolutionary-Technologies-Healthier\u002Fdp\u002F6158026107\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo-768x350.png\" alt=\"Live better using technology - Buy My Health Upgraded\" class=\"wp-image-13211\"\u002F\u003C\u002Fa srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo-768x350.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo-512x233.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Get it on Amazon\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1134,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>Enhancing human capabilities has been on the mind of people for ages, but superhumans came a long way from ancient training methods to exoskeletons. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",32183,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[67,488,1138,233,1139,234,489,68,1140,1141,1142,70,235,5,492],493,500,488,496,800,[1144,1145,1146,1147,1148],639,1120,1332,6525,231,[78,511],[],[257,251,1152,1153,632,1154,83,388,1155],2215,2329,3347,1681,[1157,51,95,96,97,98,99,101,523,1158,261,1159,262,524,102,1160,1161,1162,104,263,105,527,1163,1164,1165,1166,1167,111,544],"post-32197","category-augmented-reality","category-biotechnology","category-genomics","category-health-sensors-trackers","category-healthcare-policy","tag-brain-computer-interface","tag-bci","tag-transhumanism","tag-neuralink","tag-exoskeleton",{"id":1135,"alt_text":62,"caption":62,"description":1169,"media_type":117,"media_details":1170,"post":1187,"source_url":1188},"Becoming superhuman ",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1171,"sizes":1172,"image_meta":1186},"2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01.png",{"medium":1173,"large":1176,"thumbnail":1179,"medium_large":1182,"1536x1536":1183},{"file":1174,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1175},"tmf_article_236-01-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-370x208.png",{"file":1177,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1178},"tmf_article_236-01-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-768x432.png",{"file":1180,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1181},"tmf_article_236-01-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-150x150.png",{"file":1177,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1178},{"file":1184,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1185},"tmf_article_236-01-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},32095,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01.png",{"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_posts_footer":1190,"related_posts":16,"related_books":1194,"key_takeaways":1197},[1191,1192,1193],53187,52933,53089,[1195,831,1196],24765,24761,[1198,1200,1202],{"title":1199},"\u003Cp>Human enhancement has evolved from ancient methods to advanced technologies like exoskeletons and genetic editing, blurring the lines between science fiction and reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":1201},"\u003Cp>Current advancements in human enhancement, such as brain-computer interfaces and sensory augmentation, promise to revolutionize not just health but everyday human capabilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":1203},"\u003Cp>The ethical and philosophical considerations of human enhancement, especially in transhumanism, highlight the need to balance technological progress with fundamental human values and moral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":1130,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1205,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1128},"Enhancing human capabilities has been on the mind of people for ages, but superhumans came a long way from ancient training methods to exoskeletons.",{"self":1207,"collection":1212,"about":1214,"author":1216,"replies":1218,"version-history":1221,"predecessor-version":1225,"wp:featuredmedia":1229,"wp:attachment":1232,"wp:term":1235,"curies":1246},[1208],{"href":1209,"targetHints":1210},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F32197",{"allow":1211},[27],[1213],{"href":173},[1215],{"href":176},[1217],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[1219],{"embeddable":41,"href":1220},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=32197",[1222],{"count":1223,"href":1224},45,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F32197\u002Frevisions",[1226],{"id":1227,"href":1228},53721,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F32197\u002Frevisions\u002F53721",[1230],{"embeddable":41,"href":1231},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F32183",[1233],{"href":1234},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=32197",[1236,1238,1240,1242,1244],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1237},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=32197",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1239},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=32197",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1241},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=32197",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1243},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=32197",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1245},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=32197",[1247],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":558,"date":1249,"date_gmt":1250,"guid":1251,"modified":1253,"modified_gmt":1254,"slug":1255,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1256,"title":1257,"content":1259,"excerpt":1261,"author":369,"featured_media":1263,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1264,"categories":1265,"tags":1268,"project_category":1284,"contact_email_category":1287,"yst_prominent_words":1288,"class_list":1297,"better_featured_image":1318,"acf":1338,"yoast_meta":1342,"_links":1345},"2023-09-19T10:00:00","2023-09-19T08:00:00",{"rendered":1252},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=34179&_wpnonce=c515b17ba8&status=auto-draft&type=post","2023-09-18T07:53:36","2023-09-18T05:53:36","digital-health-technologies","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-technologies",{"rendered":1258},"Digital Health Technologies That Are Too Futuristic To Be In Practice Now (If Ever)",{"rendered":1260,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>An oncologist administering nanorobots that swim through a patient’s bloodstream to deliver drugs in a highly targeted way. A person on a specific diet scanning their meal with a single device to reveal all of its major nutritional elements. A clinic’s transplant department 3D-printing whole organs. These are scenarios that sound like snippets extracted from a science-fiction novel. But these are digital health technologies that we will have to get used to in the future. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fnanotechnology-in-medicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Nanorobots\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-food-the-food-of-the-future\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">food scanners\u003C\u002Fa>, and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F3d-bioprinting-overview\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">bioprinting\u003C\u002Fa> are all existing digital health technologies that we’ve reported on The Medical Futurist. However, they are in the “too futuristic” category (even for The Medical Futurist!) as the future when they will be commonplace is several decades away and is something we might not even be around to experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>They are too futuristic not only because the underlying technology is still in its infancy, but also because the digital health field faces several challenges that must be overcome before addressing those technologies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Here we contemplate some of these too-futuristic digital health technologies that won’t get in the doctor’s room or in a patient’s home any time soon, how far off in the future they are, and what needs to happen before we get to see them in practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Those distant digital health technologies\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We often come across exciting digital health technologies that compel us to dive into the subject and present an article about it. At other times, we get the opportunity to review relevant products too. But over the years, some of those technologies have stagnated, with no significant developments even from major players in the respective field. Let’s take 5 examples to illustrate these.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Food scanners\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A couple of years ago, we had the opportunity to test Nima’s food scanners. The Silicon Valley-based company released two portable scanners: a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ftesting-food-gluten-home-nima-sensor-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">gluten sensor\u003C\u002Fa> and a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffighting-against-a-small-enemy-the-nima-peanut-sensor-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">peanut sensor\u003C\u002Fa>. These enabled the user to scan for that respective content in a food sample on the spot. During our tests for those devices, we found them to be accurate and very practical to use. More importantly, such accuracy and convenience of use can literally prove to be life-saving for those suffering from food allergies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"I Tested Food For Gluten At Home With The Nima Sensor - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fm8glmjXPAlk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But since our review in 2018, Nima hasn’t released any new products, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fcompany\u002Fnima-labs\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">was acquired\u003C\u002Fa> by a medical device company in 2020 and after a while they went completely silent, rendering these devices useless without \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodforyouglutenfree.com\u002Fnima-sensor-out-of-business\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">test capsules\u003C\u002Fa>. While their technology was indeed disruptive, the devices were limited to scanning single components. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, there are patients suffering from more food allergies such as egg, soy or lactose who would benefit from such devices; or ideally, a single scanner that could detect multiple food elements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Other companies that entered the consumer market with food scanners of their own did not fare any better. SCio, whose handheld device could scan food and analyse its chemical constituents, shifted focus towards the farming industry rather than improving its existing product. TellSpec stopped issuing press releases in 2018 and failed to deliver the handheld food scanner \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.indiegogo.com\u002Fprojects\u002Ftellspec-what-s-in-your-food#\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">backed by 1700+ people on Indiegogo\u003C\u002Fa>, and also seems to have failed to refund the donations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>How far in the future will we have omnipotent food scanners?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The technology has been around for around a decade and some consumer products are\u002Fwere already on the market. But their uses are\u002Fwere limited as is the number of players in the field. We should expect to see more scanners in the next decade or so but still with limited uses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Nanorobots\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2016, we released an article dedicated to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fnanotechnology-in-medicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nanotechnology in medicine\u003C\u002Fa>. In it, we shared examples like “nanoswimmers” developed by researchers that could pave the way for programmed drug delivery. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"4 Ways Nanotechnology Will Change Our Lives\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fdn2UjBIsrcI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, practically all of the nanorobots came from research labs with more proof-of-concepts than practical applications. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.snexplores.org\u002Farticle\u002Fnanobots-can-now-enter-brain-cells-to-spy-on-what-theyre-doing\" target=\"_blank\">Recent news\u003C\u002Fa> around \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Femag.medicalexpo.com\u002Fnanorobotics-in-neurology-tiny-movements-towards-major-change\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">the technology\u003C\u002Fa> still \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41467-023-40300-2\" target=\"_blank\">revolves around\u003C\u002Fa> the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41565-023-01471-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">theoretical\u002Fconceptual aspects\u003C\u002Fa>. But this is how digital health technologies often evolve: from conceptual stages in labs, through various iterations and testing stages before rolling out to a wider audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>How far in the future?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We’re still at the dawn of nanotechnology in medicine, but it doesn’t mean we won’t ever see it in practice. In the coming years, we will likely hear about more developments in the field. But to see those in regular practice, we’re looking at 4 or more decades down the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. One-drop blood tests\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This one will leave a sour taste in the mouths of Theranos’ investors. The startup amassed millions in investments following its promise to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002F2014\u002F02\u002Felizabeth-holmes-theranos\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">run 30 lab tests on a single drop of blood\u003C\u002Fa>. This eventually turned out \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhere-does-blood-testing-stand-today\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">to be a scam\u003C\u002Fa>, but if you dial down expectations, several tests can be conducted on smaller blood samples instead of a single blood drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F045_bloodtesting-768x432.gif\" alt=\"Digital Health Technologies: Blood testing\" class=\"wp-image-22249\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F045_bloodtesting-768x432.gif 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F045_bloodtesting-370x208.gif 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F045_bloodtesting-1536x864.gif 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F045_bloodtesting-512x288.gif 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>For example, from a small blood volume, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.genalyte.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Genalyte’s technology\u003C\u002Fa> can run multiple, simultaneous, rapid tests and output a result within 30 minutes. Similarly, from a single blood sample that can potentially \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnightingalehealth.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnightingale-health-rolls-out-remote-blood-collection-kit-for-medical-research-and-clinical-trials\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">be collected \u003C\u002Fa>at home, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnightingalehealth.com\u002Ftechnology\u002F?\" target=\"_blank\">Nightingale\u003C\u002Fa> can analyse numerous biomarkers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>How far in the future?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Unless researchers devise an accurate way to amplify the volume of blood from a drop-sized initial sample or accurately perform tests on a single drop, we won’t see the coveted “one drop blood test”. It’s safer to bet on “small sample blood tests” in this case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Nutrigenomics\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nutrigenomics aims to understand how specific humans react differently to specific nutrients due to their individual genetic characteristics, and how we can utilise this knowledge for each individual. In simpler terms: a promise of an advancement that can provide you with scientifically backed data on what, how and when you should eat and what to avoid – based on your DNA.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However fascinating, a science-backed nutrigenomics test I could finally lay my hands on is THE digital health technology I have been waiting for the longest and still had no chance to try. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_345-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"nutrigenomics\" class=\"wp-image-48473\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_345-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_345-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_345-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_345-01-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F12\u002Ftmf_article_345-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We discussed the main reasons for the slow progress \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhy-is-nutrigenomics-the-biggest-flop-in-digital-health\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">in this article\u003C\u002Fa> in great detail, so let’s just summarize the headlines here. We listed these four main reasons: 1. It is extremely challenging to learn nutritionally guiding principles from genetic tests, 2. Pricing will be very tricky, 3. Nutrigenomics will not offer easy fixes for fast results, and 4. All you see is bogus, fake science everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How far in the future?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Of course, we are not giving up hope to be among the first ones to test a reliably working, accessible, DTC nutrigenomics test. It is quite tricky to forecast when this will happen. The technology seems to be available, however, there hasn’t been a single company that could deliver a viable product. While this time arrives, I will figuratively put nutrigenomics on my shelf of flops, right next to my – very solid – 3D printed cast. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5) Contact lenses for detecting blood glucose\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Back in 2014, Google \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fpatentbolt.com\u002F2014\u002F03\u002Fgoogle-takes-their-google-glass-vision-to-smart-contact-lenses.html\" target=\"_blank\">submitted a patent\u003C\u002Fa> to the US Patent & Trademark Office that described a digital, multi-sensor contact lens for detecting blinking, with benefits like turning the page of an e-book with a “blink of an eye”. Later, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FGoogle_Contact_Lens\" target=\"_blank\">more details\u003C\u002Fa> about the idea emerged, revealing a much more transformative use for the contact lens – measuring blood glucose from tears. It was one of the most groundbreaking, futuristic, and promising projects in digital health.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, \u003Cstrong>in November 2018, it turned out irrevocably that the project for manufacturing these contact lenses had failed. Alphabet’s company, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2018-11-16\u002Falphabet-s-verily-halts-diabetes-detecting-contact-lens-project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Verily Life Sciences halted one of its longest-running projects with this announcement\u003C\u002Fa>. The company said that the reason for shutting down the initiative was that it couldn’t get the experimental lens, which measures glucose in tears, to deliver assessments of blood glucose with enough consistency to be used as a medical device\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Although we somewhat expected the disappointing news as there was no word about the undertaking for months, we still had a pinch of hope around the research. All-in-all, the initiative proved to be too much science fiction to be realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How far in the future?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Smart contact lenses seem to surface in the news every now and then, with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedaily.com\u002Freleases\u002F2023\u002F03\u002F230309082623.htm\">various use cases\u003C\u002Fa> and development directions, but some of the most serious players \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2023\u002F1\u002F7\u002F23543224\u002Fmojo-vision-smart-contact-lens-microled\" target=\"_blank\">shift their focus\u003C\u002Fa> and give up on the concept. Commercially available smart contact lenses with advanced medical assessment capacities are still at least five years away. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The future path to everyday practice\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It might seem like it’s just a matter of time before we see such digital health technologies in practice. However, some promising and available technologies like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhere-are-3d-printed-casts\u002F\">3D-\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhere-are-3d-printed-casts\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">printed casts\u003C\u002Fa> with their many advantages aren’t adopted due to several factors from the lack of scientific backing to their manufacturing cost. Others fail to take off because some companies, like Theranos and blood testing, set a negative precedent \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-ventures-that-flew-too-close-to-the-sun\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">at the expense of promising technologies\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But in reality, even if the polished versions were available now, they might not even be adopted. This is because digital health still has several challenges to address before even considering how to integrate those futuristic digital health technologies into everyday practice. How can we talk about nanorobots if we can’t easily access and download our own medical records from a healthcare institution? How can we get patients to use food scanners if it \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">took a pandemic\u003C\u002Fa> to get them to adopt telemedicine? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Many researchers and startups can come up with amazing engineering solutions, but those are further ahead of the line. They don’t address real-life patient, physician or policymaker needs, and thus those will not be used in practice; at least for now. From the need for a cultural transformation to understanding the implications of digital health, those are \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Flongevity-is-the-future-if-we-tackle-digital-health-first\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">some of the many issues\u003C\u002Fa> that stakeholders in the field need to address first. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunno\u003C\u002Fem>o\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\">\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1262,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>An oncologist administering nanorobots that swim through a patient’s bloodstream to deliver drugs in a highly targeted way. A person on a specific diet scanning their meal with a single device to reveal all of its major nutritional elements. A clinic’s transplant department 3D-printing whole organs. These are scenarios that sound like snippets extracted from a science-fiction novel. But these are digital health technologies that we will have to get used to in the future. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",34231,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[1139,489,68,1266,69,1141,1267,235,5],510,507,[1269,1270,502,1271,1272,1273,1274,1275,1276,1277,1278,1279,1280,1281,496,1282,1283],159,5045,202,550,236,851,7009,7011,7013,7015,130,7017,1501,7019,153,[1285,1286,510,511],947,948,[],[388,1155,1289,86,1290,87,1291,90,251,1292,1293,1294,1295,83,1296],5411,5425,5445,2877,2973,3825,3829,4403,[1298,51,95,96,97,98,99,1159,524,102,1299,103,1161,1300,263,105,1301,1302,536,1303,1304,1305,1306,1307,1308,1309,1310,1311,1312,1313,530,1314,1315,1316,1317,543,544],"post-34179","category-future-of-food","category-nanotechnology","tag-blood-test","tag-nightingale","tag-device","tag-theranos","tag-fda-2","tag-nima","tag-food-scanners","tag-nanobots","tag-gluten-sensor","tag-tellspec","tag-3d-printing-2","tag-scio","tag-nanorobot","tag-genalyte","tag-biotechnology-2","project_category-company","project_category-developers",{"id":1263,"alt_text":62,"caption":62,"description":62,"media_type":117,"media_details":1319,"post":1336,"source_url":1337},{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1320,"sizes":1321,"image_meta":1335},"2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_262_C-01.png",{"medium":1322,"large":1325,"thumbnail":1328,"medium_large":1331,"1536x1536":1332},{"file":1323,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1324},"tmf_article_262_C-01-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_262_C-01-370x208.png",{"file":1326,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1327},"tmf_article_262_C-01-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_262_C-01-768x432.png",{"file":1329,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1330},"tmf_article_262_C-01-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_262_C-01-150x150.png",{"file":1326,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1327},{"file":1333,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1334},"tmf_article_262_C-01-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_262_C-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},34225,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_262_C-01.png",{"cta_type":149,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":1339,"related_posts_footer":1340,"related_posts":16,"key_takeaways":16},[556,298],[559,560,1341],33895,{"yoast_wpseo_title":1343,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1344,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1256},"Digital Health Technologies That Are Too Futuristic - The Medical Futurist","Digital Health Technologies: Some digital health technologies sound great but they are just too far away from everyday practice. See the list.",{"self":1346,"collection":1351,"about":1353,"author":1355,"replies":1357,"version-history":1360,"predecessor-version":1364,"wp:featuredmedia":1368,"wp:attachment":1371,"wp:term":1374,"curies":1385},[1347],{"href":1348,"targetHints":1349},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F34179",{"allow":1350},[27],[1352],{"href":173},[1354],{"href":176},[1356],{"embeddable":41,"href":441},[1358],{"embeddable":41,"href":1359},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=34179",[1361],{"count":1362,"href":1363},37,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F34179\u002Frevisions",[1365],{"id":1366,"href":1367},52565,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F34179\u002Frevisions\u002F52565",[1369],{"embeddable":41,"href":1370},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F34231",[1372],{"href":1373},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=34179",[1375,1377,1379,1381,1383],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1376},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=34179",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1378},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=34179",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1380},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=34179",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1382},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=34179",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1384},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=34179",[1386],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1388,"date":1389,"date_gmt":1390,"guid":1391,"modified":1393,"modified_gmt":1394,"slug":1395,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1396,"title":1397,"content":1399,"excerpt":1401,"author":369,"featured_media":1403,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1404,"categories":1405,"tags":1406,"project_category":1414,"contact_email_category":1415,"yst_prominent_words":1416,"class_list":1422,"better_featured_image":1431,"acf":1460,"yoast_meta":1467,"_links":1470},37637,"2023-02-16T10:00:00","2023-02-16T09:00:00",{"rendered":1392},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=37637&_wpnonce=06e614f716&status=auto-draft&type=post","2023-02-14T15:42:28","2023-02-14T14:42:28","good-digital-health-company","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fgood-digital-health-company",{"rendered":1398},"5 Best Practices To Build A Future-Ready Digital Health Company",{"rendered":1400,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>Transparent communication, clinically-validated technologies, and addressing real-life clinical needs might sound like no-brainer components to a digital health company since they are working in the healthcare sector. It is also a rapidly expanding one where investments were heavily channelled during the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, some estimate that \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.entrepreneur.com\u002Farticle\u002F307595\" target=\"_blank\">90% of digital health startups\u003C\u002Fa> will go bust or be ‘\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cooleygo.com\u002Facqui-hire-basics\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">acqui-hired\u003C\u002Fa>’ within a few years of being founded. If digital health represents the future of medicine and healthcare, it is important to understand why this is the case. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We previously dissected the reasons \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F10-reasons-why-digital-health-start-ups-go-bust\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">why digital health startups go bust\u003C\u002Fa> and the human element \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-ventures-that-flew-too-close-to-the-sun\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">that jeopardised promising digital health tech\u003C\u002Fa>. So in this article, we decided to go back to the dissection room to explore the anatomy of a good digital health company. So let’s take our digital scalpel and get to the task!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The five features of a good digital health company\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Scalpel equipped and ready? Follow along the incision lines and you’ll find that a good digital health company will have the following elements:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Transparent communication through social media\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the age of the internet, social media is where a company can reach out to most people. By leveraging this reach, companies can build trust in their products\u002Fservices through transparent communication. However, going against this trend doesn’t bode well for the company and its audience. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As a negative example, we can take now defunct Nima. The startup launched two promising portable food sensors some years ago. We tested both the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffighting-against-a-small-enemy-the-nima-peanut-sensor-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">peanut sensor\u003C\u002Fa> and the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ftesting-food-gluten-home-nima-sensor-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">gluten sensor\u003C\u002Fa> and found them to be accurate and very practical to use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But since our reviews in 2018, Nima hasn’t released any new products and went silent. Online, users were reporting a lack of the availability \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodforyouglutenfree.com\u002Fnima-sensor-out-of-business\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">of testing capsules\u003C\u002Fa> required for the devices and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fglutendude.com\u002Fnima-sensor-out-of-business\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a lack of communication\u003C\u002Fa> from the company itself. And they were blaming the new management for these issues. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Showing their claims through evidence-based studies\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Given how digital health companies operate in the delicate area of healthcare, backing the claims of their tools through research will make them more noteworthy. For example, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnightingalehealth.com\u002Fabout\u002Ftechnology\" target=\"_blank\">Nightingale\u003C\u002Fa> uses nuclear magnetic resonance and its proprietary software to analyse numerous biomarkers in a single blood sample. But unlike \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pulse.com.gh\u002Fbi\u002Ftech\u002Fthe-reporter-who-broke-the-theranos-saga-wide-open-pinpoints-the-moment-he-knew-he\u002Fxmbl8zp\" target=\"_blank\">Theranos and its false claims\u003C\u002Fa>, Nightingale teamed with researchers to be more transparent about their tech. Now, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnightingalehealth.com\u002Fpublications\" target=\"_blank\">over 350 studies\u003C\u002Fa> have applied their method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Theranos Scam And The State Of Blood Testing - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F_N-gKgNXDMY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Meeting real-life clinical or patient needs\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For a technology, and subsequently, the company behind it, to be successful, it should integrate into the practical reality of healthcare. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For example, during the pandemic, telemedicine presented itself as \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a ready-made option\u003C\u002Fa> that surged during the pandemic. Companies offering such services saw a boom in adoption. Amwell’s telemedicine app usage \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1821549\u002Ftelemedicine-faces-unprecedented-demand-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">went up by 158%\u003C\u002Fa> in the U.S. and appointments through PlushCare increased by 70%. In comparison, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1821549\u002Ftelemedicine-faces-unprecedented-demand-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">only 1 in 10 U.S. patients\u003C\u002Fa> had used telemedicine services before the pandemic. And although the pandemic has passed, telemedicine usage among US adults remained significantly higher than before, the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cdc.gov\u002Fnchs\u002Fproducts\u002Fdatabriefs\u002Fdb445.htm\" target=\"_blank\">CDC reported\u003C\u002Fa> that 37% of Americans used such services in 2021, and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.valuepenguin.com\u002Ftelehealth-use-study\" target=\"_blank\">data from 2022 shows\u003C\u002Fa> that such services were utilized by 22% during the 4-week survey period.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Catering to niche areas\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The more niche of an area that a digital health company focuses on, the higher its chances of success. Austrian startup \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mysugr.com\u002Fen\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">mySugr\u003C\u002Fa> is an example of this. Their app helps diabetics reinterpret the condition as a “monster” that can be tamed through their app. Through motivating challenges, personalised insights and a scoring system, it encourages patients to “tame the monster” by keeping their glucose level at a desirable one. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Pharma giant Roche even saw the potential in mySugr’s gamified approach and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.roche.com\u002Fmedia\u002Freleases\u002Fmed-cor-2017-06-30.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">acquired the startup in 2017\u003C\u002Fa>. It paired the mySugr app with its existing Accu-Chek Guide glucose meter to create the mySugr Bundle; thereby augmenting diabetics’ management of their condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Adoption of patient design\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Often left out of the equation are patients who, conversely, are often the end-user of digital health services. Their input can be paramount in developing products attending to their medical needs. Incorporating a patient advisory board and including patient design can help a digital health company stand out from the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fliving-with-an-artificial-pancreas\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">#wearenotwaiting movement\u003C\u002Fa> from diabetics illustrates this. With the artificial pancreas not available on the market due to lagging regulations, the diabetics’ community designed their own DIY one that works. After two years since the DIY version was freely available, the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2016-09-28\u002Fartificial-pancreas-approved-by-fda-is-first-such-device-in-u-s\" target=\"_blank\">FDA finally approved\u003C\u002Fa> an artificial pancreas. If a company integrated a patient advisory board, leveraged its insight to develop such a product and pushed to have it approved, it would have a significant edge over other competitors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why is Patient Design Essential in Healthcare? \u002F Episode 6 - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FhjPcpVaJ9xU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The importance of separating the wheat from the chaff\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Now that the dissection is complete and the anatomical components of a good digital health company are identified, we can turn our attention to an actual example of such a company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For this purpose, we’ll look at the path taken by manufacturers of portable ECG monitors like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alivecor.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">AliveCor\u003C\u002Fa>. Since releasing its first FDA-approved portable ECG device in 2012, the company has pushed to have its devices tested in clinical trials while refining their design. By 2020, AliveCor’s products were tested in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41746-020-00333-z\" target=\"_blank\">more than 40 clinical studies\u003C\u002Fa> (and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alivecor.com\u002Fresearch\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">counting\u003C\u002Fa>). Integrated technologies like A. I. and their device were \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jacc.org\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.jacc.2018.03.003\" target=\"_blank\">deemed comparable\u003C\u002Fa> to a traditional (and bulky) 12-lead ECG by a study. By getting their products validated and pushing for good digital communication, the device can become part of everyday practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When venturing forth into the digital health industry, companies have to dream big as they intend to disrupt the healthcare industry. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002FFINAL-Top100-DH-Companies-2022.png\" alt=\"Top 100 Digital Health Companies 2022\" class=\"wp-image-48135\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002FFINAL-Top100-DH-Companies-2022.png 1920w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002FFINAL-Top100-DH-Companies-2022-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002FFINAL-Top100-DH-Companies-2022-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002FFINAL-Top100-DH-Companies-2022-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F11\u002FFINAL-Top100-DH-Companies-2022-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-top-100-digital-health-companies-in-2022-from-the-medical-futurist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Annual Top100 Digital Health Companies List\u003C\u002Fa> from The Medical Futurist. Click on the image to view it in full-size\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, companies that tend \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-ventures-that-flew-too-close-to-the-sun\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">to fly too close to the sun\u003C\u002Fa> by overpromising and under-delivering make it hard to identify good companies. Some like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-theranos-to-google-glass-the-biggest-flops-in-digital-health\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Theranos\u003C\u002Fa> build on hype and overclaims but turn out to be scams that leave a sour taste in investors’ mouths. This can impede progress in an otherwise promising sector. Also impeding progress is mismanagement like in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-ventures-that-flew-too-close-to-the-sun\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">the case of Proteus\u003C\u002Fa> and the development of digital pills. While the technology is sound, the human factor ultimately led to its bankruptcy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As such, we hope that this anatomy will help you discern digital health companies and the services they offer that are worth your while from those that aren’t. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunnoo\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1402,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>Exploring the anatomy of a good digital health company: from communication to studies, these are the issues that count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",26469,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[488,233,489,68,69,373,376,490,5,491],[1407,1408,1409,1410,1411,72,1412,1272,1413],6369,1010,1126,175,181,347,421,[1285,1286,78,79],[],[1417,83,388,1155,1418,1419,1420,1421],3277,2027,2107,2113,2935,[1423,51,95,96,97,98,99,523,261,524,102,103,396,399,525,105,526,1424,1425,1426,1427,1428,106,1429,1304,1430,1316,1317,111,112],"post-37637","tag-invest","tag-company","tag-patient-design","tag-clinical-trial","tag-communication","tag-patient","tag-study",{"id":1403,"alt_text":1432,"caption":62,"description":62,"media_type":117,"media_details":1433,"post":1458,"source_url":1459},"future of pharma",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1434,"sizes":1435,"image_meta":1456},"2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small.png",{"medium":1436,"large":1439,"thumbnail":1442,"medium_large":1445,"1536x1536":1446,"medium_old_370x208":1449,"large_old_512x288":1450,"thumbnail_old_150x150":1453,"medium_large_old_768x432":1454,"1536x1536_old_1536x864":1455},{"file":1437,"width":649,"height":650,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1438},"pharma-future-small-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-370x208.png",{"file":1440,"width":655,"height":656,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1441},"pharma-future-small-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-768x432.png",{"file":1443,"width":661,"height":661,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1444},"pharma-future-small-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-150x150.png",{"file":1440,"width":655,"height":656,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1441},{"file":1447,"width":667,"height":668,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1448},"pharma-future-small-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-1536x864.png",{"file":1437,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1438},{"file":1451,"width":820,"height":821,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1452},"pharma-future-small-512x288.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-512x288.png",{"file":1443,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1444},{"file":1440,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1441},{"file":1447,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1448},{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145,"keywords":1457},[],26327,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small.png",{"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":1461,"related_posts_footer":1463,"related_posts":16},[1462,833],24757,[1464,1465,1466],28693,24201,31317,{"yoast_wpseo_title":1468,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1469,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1396},"5 Best Practices To Build A Future-Ready Digital Health Company - The Medical Futurist","Exploring the anatomy of a good digital health company: from communication to studies, these are the issues that count.",{"self":1471,"collection":1476,"about":1478,"author":1480,"replies":1482,"version-history":1485,"predecessor-version":1489,"wp:featuredmedia":1493,"wp:attachment":1496,"wp:term":1499,"curies":1510},[1472],{"href":1473,"targetHints":1474},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37637",{"allow":1475},[27],[1477],{"href":173},[1479],{"href":176},[1481],{"embeddable":41,"href":441},[1483],{"embeddable":41,"href":1484},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=37637",[1486],{"count":1487,"href":1488},28,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37637\u002Frevisions",[1490],{"id":1491,"href":1492},49371,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37637\u002Frevisions\u002F49371",[1494],{"embeddable":41,"href":1495},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F26469",[1497],{"href":1498},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=37637",[1500,1502,1504,1506,1508],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1501},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=37637",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1503},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=37637",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1505},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=37637",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1507},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=37637",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1509},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=37637",[1511],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1513,"date":1514,"date_gmt":1515,"guid":1516,"modified":1518,"modified_gmt":1519,"slug":1520,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1521,"title":1522,"content":1524,"excerpt":1526,"author":59,"featured_media":1528,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1529,"categories":1530,"tags":1531,"project_category":1540,"contact_email_category":1541,"yst_prominent_words":1542,"class_list":1551,"better_featured_image":1561,"acf":1586,"yoast_meta":1587,"_links":1590},47711,"2022-10-27T10:00:00","2022-10-27T08:00:00",{"rendered":1517},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=47711&_wpnonce=2c92e9133d&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-10-28T12:29:48","2022-10-28T10:29:48","these-8-countries-could-put-together-the-worlds-most-advanced-healthcare-system","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthese-8-countries-could-put-together-the-worlds-most-advanced-healthcare-system",{"rendered":1523},"These 8 Countries Could Put Together The World’s Most Advanced Healthcare System",{"rendered":1525,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>If we are looking for one common thing in healthcare systems around the world, it’s that nobody is truly satisfied with their own.  The level of satisfaction\u002Fdissatisfaction of course \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statista.com\u002Fstatistics\u002F1109036\u002Fsatisfaction-health-system-worldwide-by-country\u002F\">varies widely between countries\u003C\u002Fa> and is closely related to the economic performance and possibilities available for the given country in the past centuries\u002Fdecades. But as we will see, with having focus and working for the right goals, it is possible to fully transform a country and its healthcare in just a few decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Can we, dreaming freely, come up with the perfect system? There are so many good examples all over the world after all, related to certain sub-segments. Let’s imagine what healthcare would look like if we could combine the best practices. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is my take on the super-system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Business incubation from Israel\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A robust, efficient and customer-friendly healthcare system is impossible without a healthy startup scene and tons of innovation. This segment of our super-system will arrive from Israel, which is considered one of the most innovative economies, and its fame doesn’t fall short in the digital health space either. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is the secret? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Israel was able to integrate multiple important factors: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>A buzzing startup ecosystem with ample funding\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>A robust digital health innovation infrastructure directly wired to hospitals – the number of hospital-sponsored innovation centers or healthcare accelerators is reported to be the highest per capita in Israel\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Almost 30 years’ worth of electronic medical records\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>According to the latest (2019), \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fstartupnationcentral.org\u002Fsector\u002Fdigital-health\u002F#\">full digital health report by Startup Nation\u003C\u002Fa> – a nonprofit think tank analysing the Israeli startup scene – Israel has almost 30 years of accumulated data in its healthcare system, 98% of which is digitized. In early 2018, the Israeli government approved a budget of over $300M to support digital health as the next economic growth engine. In order to fully acknowledge this figure, we have to note that the country’s population is just over 9 million people. Based on the H1 2021 preliminary report, the three top-performing sub-sectors in the Israeli digital health universe were diagnostics, decision support and digital therapeutics.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Government policy around e-patients from Denmark\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Denmark’s digital health strategy is one of the most forward-looking examples of a government-supported objective to adjust the medical arena to the 21st century. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is the secret?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>A nationwide strategy with a strong citizen focus\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Based on tons of quality data\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The third happiest country in the universe has one of the most advanced digital health systems alongside an elaborated and concise national digital health strategy. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsundhedsdatastyrelsen.dk\u002F-\u002Fmedia\u002Fsds\u002Ffiler\u002Fenglish\u002Fdigital_health_solutions\u002Fdigital_health_strategy_2018_2022.pdf?la=da\">The document\u003C\u002Fa> emphasizes the importance of the cooperation of each and every healthcare actor through the easiest and fastest way, technology, with a clear purpose: to build an integrated network focusing on patients and looking at the person as a whole, not just at the individual diagnosis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F04\u002Ftmf_article_259-01-1-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34109\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F04\u002Ftmf_article_259-01-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F04\u002Ftmf_article_259-01-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F04\u002Ftmf_article_259-01-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F04\u002Ftmf_article_259-01-1.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the Danish healthcare system, all residents are entitled to public healthcare benefits, have free and equal access to general and specialized practitioner services, and digitisation is at a high level. Everyone gets access to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sundhed.dk\u002F\">Sundhed.dk\u003C\u002Fa> patient portal, which allows any patient to access their own health data, make appointments with doctors or look up their complete patient history. But that’s only one type of data registry: medical professionals, researchers or institutions get access to a wide range of clinical databases, biobanks, and lab- or imaging systems – with high-quality data.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The country still has its challenges in integrating its incredible databases: information on causes of death has been collected since 1875, and cancer incidence has been registered for the whole country since 1943 just to name two examples – and there is still a long way towards a fully unified system. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, of all the global examples we have ever seen, Denmark got closest to building up an integrated digital health framework focusing on patients and guarding their data against any security or privacy issues.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Medical association and leadership from Canada\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Canadian Medical Association seems to be best adapted to the new role these traditional organisations will fulfil in the digital health era. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is their secret?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>Free membership\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>A strong focus on upcoming professional challenges\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Creating a Virtual Care Task Force in collaboration with other professional bodies\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Physicians, nurses, surgeons, medical students, and other medical professionals are looking for yardsticks to smoothly take the transition from “analogue” to digital healthcare systems, and medical associations have all the means to give a helping hand. They have a structure to educate actors in the healthcare scene about the latest technological changes, and how to integrate digital health achievements into practices or they might even finance specific projects in the area of digital health or health IT.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Medical associations could also provide a long-term vision of the future of healthcare and help tackle the hurdles in front of reaching a desired state of play. Thus, these societies have a huge responsibility in preparing doctors and nurses for the coming years. In the more and more complex digital, financial and scientific life, physicians could feel left alone, not to say left behind, without the efficient support of umbrella organizations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Not many of these organisations shine in their roles. Some are stuck in the past. Some are too occupied with internal fights for positions. And some are just doing poorly in representing the sector they ought to represent. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although you can obviously find criticism of the Canadian Medical Association, we still believe they are the best example we currently have. The Virtual Care Taskforce they created in 2019 with the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada had well-defined priorities. They focused on four areas. 1. Interoperability and governance; 2. Licensure and quality of care; 3. Payment model; and 4. Medical education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This kind of comprehensive and forward-looking approach will be much needed in the future of healthcare everywhere.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Regulatory body from the USA\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With all the troubles the United States has with its healthcare system – it’s the world’s most expensive system with huge inequities in access to quality medical care -, their regulatory framework is probably the best. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"6667\" height=\"5013\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FFDA-AI-infographics-tmf.png\" alt=\"FDA AI infographics tmf\" class=\"wp-image-47725\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FFDA-AI-infographics-tmf.png 6667w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FFDA-AI-infographics-tmf-768x577.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FFDA-AI-infographics-tmf-1536x1155.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 6667px) 100vw, 6667px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>To see the full-size image, right-click on the picture and open it in a new browser tab. It will allow you to enlarge it to its original size. \u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has checked many firsts: they established the first patient advisory board, the first workshops for companies doing 3D printing, the first approved 3D printed medication, and they were the first to regulate artificial intelligence algorithms in the healthcare segment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is their secret?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>They keep an eye on all related industries and translate technological and cultural challenges into up-to-date regulations\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We have analysed FDA-approved algorithms multiple times, you can find our \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41746-020-00324-0\" target=\"_blank\">peer-reviewed study here\u003C\u002Fa>, the constantly \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffda-approved-ai-based-algorithms\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">updated database here\u003C\u002Fa>, and a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fnew-study-the-state-of-artificial-intelligence-based-fda-approved-medical-devices-and-algorithms-an-online-database\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">detailed article here\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For the regulation process, here are the basics. Prior to legally marketing their medical hardware or software in the U.S., companies must submit it to the FDA for evaluation. Medically-oriented A.I.-based algorithms have 3 levels of clearance and they must meet specific criteria requirements to be granted a clearance. These clearance levels are \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fda.gov\u002Fmedical-devices\u002Fdevice-approvals-denials-and-clearances\u002F510k-clearances\" target=\"_blank\">510(k)\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fda.gov\u002Fmedical-devices\u002Fpremarket-submissions\u002Fpremarket-approval-pma\" target=\"_blank\">premarket approval\u003C\u002Fa> (PMA) and the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fda.gov\u002Fmedical-devices\u002Fpremarket-submissions\u002Fde-novo-classification-request\" target=\"_blank\">de novo pathway\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>An algorithm gains 510(k) clearance if it is shown to be at least as safe and effective as another similar, legally-marketed algorithm. PMA is issued to algorithms for Class III medical devices, or those with a large impact on human health. Their safety is determined after confirming that their effectiveness is supported by satisfactory scientific evidence. As for the de novo pathway, it relates to novel medical devices for which there are no legal counterparts on the market. General controls offer a reasonable guarantee of their safety and effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although the system is not perfect – we found a number of approved solutions where there was no mention of an algorithm in the documentation, but FDA seems to be the best we can go with. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Virtual wards from the UK\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Virtual wards will soon become important in many care areas, this model offers an efficient (both in medical and in financial terms) solution for a great number of health conditions. The United Kingdom’s NHS reacted quickly and started piloting the concept years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is the secret?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>NHS reacted fast\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Pilot projects were launched in several clinical segments\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What are virtual wards? “A virtual ward is a solution that supports patients who would otherwise be in hospital to get acute care, remote monitoring and treatment in their own homes, with the use of digital, remote monitoring health tools relaying real-time data to the hospital. The main difference between ‘full-grown’ virtual wards and the earlier existing solutions is the available data. Virtual wards provide the same data in real-time as would be available if the patient was hospitalised.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is two-way communication. The patient has the option to immediately contact the health team, and real-time data allows healthcare providers to immediately intervene if measurements suggest deterioration in the patient’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The idea of allowing some patients to heal in the comfort of their homes is nothing new. There is a vast amount of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjamanetworkopen\u002Ffullarticle\u002F2780783\">data \u003C\u002Fa>proving that people with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F11686958\u002F\">certain \u003C\u002Fa>symptoms \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbmjopen.bmj.com\u002Fcontent\u002F11\u002F1\u002Fe043285\">heal better at home\u003C\u002Fa>. They are not at risk of hospital infections. Not under the strain of missing the family. And so on, the benefits are numerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Virtual wards are the answer to the long-known wisdom that many patients don’t actually need hospitalisation. They only need monitoring.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Health IT infrastructure from South Korea\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The digitisation of hospital systems is yet another result the pandemic’s challenges have brought upon us. The urgency for extra bandwidth needed for remote care solutions, hospital IoT deployments, telehealth consultations or the operations of robots and robotic systems made it clear: hospitals need better access to networks, and 5G is an obvious solution. And with building on 5G comes a vast array of 21st-century solutions: large-scale deployment of robots, AI-enabled diagnostics and services, real-time, HD video analysis of surgeries and so on. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And of course, no one does it better in healthcare than South Korea. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is the secret?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We have to admit that this densely populated country might have an advantage. It is more efficient to build such robust networks for a large population living in a relatively small area than building the same in a country with a low population density.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Best digital health application process from Germany\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Digital health applications and solutions are increasingly becoming part of our healthcare experience. While these apps are available in a large number of medical specialties, channelling them into state-run healthcare systems to harness the benefits on population-wide scales is challenging. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"764\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany-768x764.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47441\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany-768x764.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany.jpg 987w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Germany’s DiGA system tackles this issue with a model that is worth a detailed analysis. DiGA stands for Digitale Gesundheitsanwendung or Digital Health Applications in English. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is the secret?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>Clear and very transparent guidelines on how to obtain DiGA certification\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Preliminary (valid for 12 months) approval, that allows smaller, less wealthy companies to carry out clinical trials and collect solid evidence\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>A central reimbursement model, in which the prices are negotiated with the umbrella organisation of German statutory health insurers, so companies don’t need to deal with each of them separately\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Easy to use central registry useful for patients and doctors alike\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Patient inclusion and longevity-oriented thinking from Estonia\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Imagine a country where citizens will have their genetic profiles integrated into the digital health system with individual risk scores and pharmacogenomic information, so when they go to the doctor, they will get fully personalised, genetic risk-based diagnosis, medication, and preventive measures. That’s where healthcare in Estonia will arrive soon. They started to build their digital health system 20 years ago, and within the next years, the Baltic country will start to reap the benefits of a transparent, blockchain-based, digital health system hooked on genetic data. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is the secret?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>Estonia focused on finding two emerging mega trends in the early 1990s (IT and genetics) and worked tirelessly to excel in these niches\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the last 20 years, Estonian healthcare (as well as the country’s public administration) went through an astronomical transformation. Many factors had to be put in place to offer a trustworthy, safe, and efficient healthcare system for citizens, pointing in the direction of personalised, preventive medicine based on DNA analyses – and approximately twenty years after the start, the process is still in the making. In 2008, they launched the national EHR, two years later added digital prescriptions, another two years went by, and they included e-consultations. In 2015, e-ambulances were introduced, and a drug interaction decision support system was launched in 2017\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Estonian e-Health vision 2025 sums up the efforts in a rather short, but powerful four-word sentence: “better information – more health”. That means the Baltic country is striving to collect high-quality data in a secure and transparent way about the past, present and genetically predictable future health state of patients in a highly personalised way by staying in close proximity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1527,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>There are so many good examples all over the world after all, related to certain sub-segments. Let’s imagine how healthcare would look like if we could combine all the best practices. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",29589,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[69,5],[1532,1533,1534,1535,1536,752,1537,1538,500,1539],609,630,702,764,7529,7681,220,1166,[1286,510,78,80],[],[1543,388,1544,1155,1545,85,1546,1547,515,1548,87,517,1549,1550,83],3189,5113,5475,5477,1689,1707,2303,3143,[1552,51,95,96,97,98,99,103,105,1553,1554,1555,1556,1557,788,1558,1559,534,1560,1317,543,111,113],"post-47711","tag-healthcare-design","tag-digital-technology","tag-health-it","tag-healthcare-system","tag-future-of-healthcare","tag-patient-inclusion","tag-e-patient","tag-digital-health-technologies",{"id":1528,"alt_text":1562,"caption":1563,"description":62,"media_type":117,"media_details":1564,"post":1584,"source_url":1585},"Cross-border healthcare: medicine delivery to patient care","Digital Health Makes Healthcare Globalised – Dr Meskó as a practicing patient from the future had his DNA tested by a company in Australia, ECG records from the U.S., fitness data from France, microbiome test result from the UK – all of which he shows to his GP in Hungary. A globalised healthcare meant that the patient ultimately receives state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment, wherever s\u002Fhe is.",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1565,"sizes":1566,"image_meta":1583},"2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01.png",{"medium":1567,"large":1570,"thumbnail":1573,"medium_large":1576,"1536x1536":1577,"2048x2048":1580},{"file":1568,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1569},"195_tmf-01-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-370x208.png",{"file":1571,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1572},"195_tmf-01-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-768x432.png",{"file":1574,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1575},"195_tmf-01-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-150x150.png",{"file":1571,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1572},{"file":1578,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1579},"195_tmf-01-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-1536x864.png",{"file":1581,"width":1064,"height":1065,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1582},"195_tmf-01-2048x1152.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-2048x1152.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},29531,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01.png",{"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62,"related_books":16,"related_posts_footer":16,"related_posts":16,"subtitle":62},{"yoast_wpseo_title":1588,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1589,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1521},"These 8 Countries Could Put Together The World's Best Healthcare","There are great examples all over the world related to certain sub-segments. Let’s imagine we could combine these practices to create the best healthcare. ",{"self":1591,"collection":1596,"about":1598,"author":1600,"replies":1602,"version-history":1605,"predecessor-version":1609,"wp:featuredmedia":1613,"wp:attachment":1616,"wp:term":1619,"curies":1630},[1592],{"href":1593,"targetHints":1594},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F47711",{"allow":1595},[27],[1597],{"href":173},[1599],{"href":176},[1601],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[1603],{"embeddable":41,"href":1604},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=47711",[1606],{"count":1607,"href":1608},18,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F47711\u002Frevisions",[1610],{"id":1611,"href":1612},47805,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F47711\u002Frevisions\u002F47805",[1614],{"embeddable":41,"href":1615},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F29589",[1617],{"href":1618},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=47711",[1620,1622,1624,1626,1628],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1621},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=47711",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1623},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=47711",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1625},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=47711",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1627},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=47711",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1629},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=47711",[1631],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1633,"date":1634,"date_gmt":1635,"guid":1636,"modified":1638,"modified_gmt":1639,"slug":1640,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1641,"title":1642,"content":1644,"excerpt":1646,"author":59,"featured_media":1648,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1649,"categories":1650,"tags":1651,"project_category":1654,"contact_email_category":1655,"yst_prominent_words":1656,"class_list":1662,"better_featured_image":1666,"acf":1688,"yoast_meta":1689,"_links":1691},43005,"2022-04-28T10:00:00","2022-04-28T08:00:00",{"rendered":1637},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=43005&_wpnonce=8a31914f64&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-04-25T14:19:48","2022-04-25T12:19:48","how-to-spot-if-your-remote-care-physician-is-an-a-i","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhow-to-spot-if-your-remote-care-physician-is-an-a-i",{"rendered":1643},"How To Spot If Your Remote Care Physician Is An A.I.?",{"rendered":1645,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>I know, this sounds far-fetched, something like a science fiction movie dilemma. But what if it’s not? It is a fact that millions of healthcare workers are missing around the globe. Whether we miss \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.euro.who.int\u002Fen\u002Fhealth-topics\u002FHealth-systems\u002Fhealth-workforce\u002Fdata-and-statistics#:~:text=More%20specifically%20the%20Global%20Strategy,and%20midwives%20globally%20by%202030.\" target=\"_blank\">10 million\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.projecthope.org\u002Fthe-global-health-worker-shortage-10-numbers-to-note\u002F04\u002F2022\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">18 million \u003C\u002Fa>depends on who you ask. We also know that the number of patients in need of healthcare is only growing. And it also seems pretty obvious that with the current medical training models (and healthcare financing) we will never be able to fill this gap. Thus, expecting that A.I. will step in and take over some of the tasks from human practitioners seems only logical. And necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Logical, necessary, but uncanny. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We slowly grow accustomed to interacting with A.I. Whether it’s the assistant in our phones or a chatbot at a random support service introducing him\u002Fher\u002Fitself as a person but strangely phrasing the same question exactly the same way thrice. After all, ever cheerful Siri failing to understand a fairly simple request is nothing substantial. Terrell – my recent partner in solving a mysterious error of an IT issue – being a bit vacuous is just mildly entertaining or slightly annoying depending on the urgency of the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"580\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcombined-fake-human-faces-768x580.jpg\" alt=\"computer A.I. generated human\" class=\"wp-image-43007\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcombined-fake-human-faces-768x580.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fcombined-fake-human-faces.jpg 1102w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>The only common feature of the people above is that none of them are real. They were randomly generated by clicking refresh on https:\u002F\u002Fthispersondoesnotexist.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But my doctor? All the A.I. personas I regularly interact with have one thing in common. They are responsible for nothing crucial. Figuring out why the software I use suddenly fails to work with the same files it worked before might seem important(-ish) at the moment, but it does not require my trust. I might raise an eyebrow when it dawns on me that Terrell is not a human, and the company failed to inform me of this fact, but who cares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dr. A.I. and my trust issues\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A.I. and deep fake personas are getting\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fthispersondoesnotexist.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> more and more convincing\u003C\u002Fa>. Just as the flirty ‘actress’\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=gS1m_TIxEW0&t=114s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> in this video\u003C\u002Fa> sounds \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2022\u002F2\u002F17\u002F22936978\u002Fai-voice-speech-synthesis-audio-deepfake-sonantic-flirtation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">human enough\u003C\u002Fa>, in a few years we can expect to video chat with an A.I. looking every bit as human as your doctor. And based on how some companies and service providers like to trick you into believing their chatbot is a real person, we can pretty much expect the same for Dr. A.I. provided to you by your medical insurance company, answering your questions about the symptoms you experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What's Her Secret?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FgS1m_TIxEW0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It would be nice to know that this is an impossible scenario, and regulators will make sure you can never find yourself in a situation like the one I described above. But this might be a bit too optimistic, and I think we better prepare ourselves for a brave new world where spotting a deep fake human becomes an important skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Not because I don’t trust that medical A.I. will become competent enough to deal with a great number of basic scenarios. It surely will. Most probably, even today a hefty share of our health questions could be handled efficiently by an algorithm. But a patient-doctor relationship is a unique one as it requires trust above anything else. And \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjama\u002Ffullarticle\u002F194300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">empathic reflection\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Knowing that I interact with Dr. A.I. would be much better than having to guess it. Thinking that I’m talking to a doctor and realising mid-process that this is not the case is the worst scenario I can imagine regarding my trust-in-healthcare issues. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So, how can we prepare for a future when we might need the skill to decide if we are talking to a deep fake doctor instead of the real one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Start training yourself now by catching A.I. chatbots\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Even though we are not there yet, you should start practising. Interact with chatbots, with virtual assistants, and take mental notes on the telltale signs helping you spot they are not human. What kinds are the questions they have difficulties interpreting? How do they react to a word joke or to a seemingly irrelevant remark? Can you get them in a repetitive cycle? Do their answers vary to the same question phrased in slightly different ways? Can they explain something in other words? Do they adequately relate to your expressed emotions? Are they able to convincingly reply to how they would feel in your situation? Do they have an opinion on something that is not related to the issue on hand? These are just a few hints, work on your methods, and find the ways helping you the most. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Practise how to spot deep fake\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Norton has a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fus.norton.com\u002Finternetsecurity-emerging-threats-how-to-spot-deepfakes.html\" target=\"_blank\">helpful list\u003C\u002Fa> on how to spot deep fake videos. Of the 15 tricks they listed, we believe these are especially important, and most likely the easiest to spot. Our Dr. A.I. will most likely be fully computer-generated, but learning to keep an eye on the details of something you see on a screen will be useful. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>Unnatural eye movements or lack of natural eye movements, such as blinking. Natural eye movement is challenging to replicate. When something about the eyes seems off, it is always a red flag\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Unnatural facial expressions – likewise, facial morphing (when the facial images of two or more individuals are combined) often results in a slightly uncomfortable feeling of something being just not right, always look for it!\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Blurring or misalignment – especially around the edges of a person or an object can also be a sign of merging body parts or objects that originally did not go together\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Hair, teeth or other small details that don’t look real. All right, the extreme effort celebrities put into their hairstyling might make this a bit more difficult, but the lack of natural hair texture, the complete absence of any frizziness or loose strands can also be a warning, just as weird-looking, shape-shifting teeth.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The problem is of course, that some of these signs are not very difficult to spot if you purposefully look for them, but most of us do not put in that kind of effort in a casually watched video. But in the era of the flat earth – we should.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Be mindful if you are passed over to someone else \u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A very common solution for any chatbot \u002F assistant presented as a real human is that they will refer you to a different ‘colleague’ – a real human – if you start questioning whether they are a person or a robot. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Of course, it is quite difficult to predict how convincing the future Dr. A.I. will be – as we are not there yet, and the field is developing with amazing speed. And while on one hand, we are increasingly aware of the presence and capacity of deepfake, developers – most of whom work without a hint of malice – will do everything to do as perfectly as possible. A bit like the constant race between the manufacturers of armors and ammo, spotting and hiding an A.I. parading as a real person will be an ever-evolving battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\u003Cp>The moral of the story obviously is not that A.I. shouldn’t have a place in future medicine. It should. It will be the best solution for many areas with significant capacity shortages. But preparing for a scenario when we will have to decide whether to trust the doctor on the screen is real or not is a must. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n",{"rendered":1647,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>Medical A.I. will surely become competent enough to efficiently deal with a great number of health questions. But tricking patients into believing they interact with a human practitioner when they are not is an entirely different issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",27309,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,488,233,234,69,5],[1652,1653,72,73],7561,144,[79],[],[1657,85,87,1658,1154,1659,918,254,1660,1661],1661,1899,3619,4847,6097,[1663,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,523,261,262,103,105,1664,1665,106,107,112],"post-43005","tag-a-i-doctor","tag-artificial-intelligence",{"id":1648,"alt_text":1667,"caption":62,"description":62,"media_type":117,"media_details":1668,"post":1686,"source_url":1687},"telemedicine and COVID-19",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1669,"sizes":1670,"image_meta":1685},"2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small.jpg",{"medium":1671,"large":1675,"thumbnail":1678,"medium_large":1681,"1536x1536":1682},{"file":1672,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":1673,"source_url":1674},"COVID-telemed-small-370x208.jpg","image\u002Fjpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-370x208.jpg",{"file":1676,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":1673,"source_url":1677},"COVID-telemed-small-768x432.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-768x432.jpg",{"file":1679,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":1673,"source_url":1680},"COVID-telemed-small-150x150.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-150x150.jpg",{"file":1676,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":1673,"source_url":1677},{"file":1683,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":1673,"source_url":1684},"COVID-telemed-small-1536x864.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-1536x864.jpg",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},27293,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small.jpg",{"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":16,"related_posts_footer":16,"related_posts":16},{"yoast_wpseo_title":1643,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1690,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1641},"Medical A.I. will become competent enoug. But tricking patients into believing they interact with a human practitioner is an entirely different issue.",{"self":1692,"collection":1697,"about":1699,"author":1701,"replies":1703,"version-history":1706,"predecessor-version":1710,"wp:featuredmedia":1714,"wp:attachment":1717,"wp:term":1720,"curies":1731},[1693],{"href":1694,"targetHints":1695},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F43005",{"allow":1696},[27],[1698],{"href":173},[1700],{"href":176},[1702],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[1704],{"embeddable":41,"href":1705},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=43005",[1707],{"count":1708,"href":1709},12,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F43005\u002Frevisions",[1711],{"id":1712,"href":1713},43115,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F43005\u002Frevisions\u002F43115",[1715],{"embeddable":41,"href":1716},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F27309",[1718],{"href":1719},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=43005",[1721,1723,1725,1727,1729],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1722},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=43005",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1724},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=43005",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1726},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=43005",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1728},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=43005",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1730},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=43005",[1732],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1734,"date":1735,"date_gmt":1736,"guid":1737,"modified":1739,"modified_gmt":1740,"slug":1741,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1742,"title":1743,"content":1745,"excerpt":1747,"author":369,"featured_media":1749,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1750,"categories":1751,"tags":1752,"project_category":1756,"contact_email_category":1757,"yst_prominent_words":1758,"class_list":1762,"better_featured_image":1767,"acf":1786,"yoast_meta":1792,"_links":1795},39957,"2022-03-03T10:00:00","2022-03-03T09:00:00",{"rendered":1738},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=39957&_wpnonce=73a81c3423&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-03-11T09:36:37","2022-03-11T08:36:37","how-the-metaverse-could-or-could-not-transform-healthcare","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhow-the-metaverse-could-or-could-not-transform-healthcare",{"rendered":1744},"How The Metaverse Could (Or Could Not) Transform Healthcare",{"rendered":1746,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>If you’ve browsed the internet in the last couple of months, the term ‘metaverse’ is likely to have been thrown at you at least once. Facebook \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fabout.fb.com\u002Fnews\u002F2021\u002F10\u002Ffacebook-company-is-now-meta\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rebranded itself\u003C\u002Fa> after the concept and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.microsoft.com\u002Finnovation-stories\u002Fmesh-for-microsoft-teams\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other companies\u003C\u002Fa> are adopting the metaverse with their own spin; betting heavily that it will be the next iteration of the internet where we will work and play alike. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As healthcare increasingly incorporates an online segment in the digital health era, one cannot help but wonder how – or even if – this touted future of the internet will influence this sphere. As such, we decided to step into the metaverse and contemplate how it can factor in healthcare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>What is the metaverse?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is a tricky question as there is not a general consensus on the definition of metaverse. Microsoft \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.microsoft.com\u002Finnovation-stories\u002Fmesh-for-microsoft-teams\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">calls it\u003C\u002Fa> “a persistent digital world that is inhabited by digital twins of people, places and things”; while Mark Zuckerberg \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fabout.fb.com\u002Fnews\u002F2021\u002F10\u002Ffacebook-company-is-now-meta\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">says that\u003C\u002Fa> in the metaverse, “you’ll be able to do almost anything you can imagine”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What is Microsoft's Metaverse?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FQw6UCwCt4bE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The term ‘metaverse’ itself isn’t totally new. It was first coined by author Neal Stephenson in his classic sci-fi book \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodreads.com\u002Fbook\u002Fshow\u002F40651883-snow-crash\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cem>Snow Crash\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa> published in 1992. In it, the Metaverse represents a virtual reality (VR)-based successor to the internet which is populated by users’ virtual avatars. There have been other depictions of such an internet successor such as the OASIS in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodreads.com\u002Fbook\u002Fshow\u002F9969571-ready-player-one\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cem>Ready Player One\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa>; but they are similar in that they represent a new, more interactive way for people to interact online in a thriving, VR-enabled virtual world with its own economy and communities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Some would argue that metaverses \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnewsletters\u002F2022-02-11\u002Fthe-metaverse-makes-no-sense-and-here-s-why\" target=\"_blank\">have been around for decades\u003C\u002Fa> if one is to go by the virtual world concept. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsecondlife.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cem>Second Life\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa>, launched in 2003, is an example; while others like \u003Cem>Roblox \u003C\u002Fem>and \u003Cem>Fortnite\u003C\u002Fem> are often considered as “\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fspectrum.ieee.org\u002Fmetaverse-second-life\" target=\"_blank\">proto-metaverses\u003C\u002Fa>”. But the main idea that Big Tech is pushing forward is extending activities that we are already performing in real life to the digital one more seamlessly, where franchises from Marvel to \u003Cem>The Lord of the Rings\u003C\u002Fem> intermingle and where people smoothly go to work and entertain themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>What the metaverse would look like in a healthcare setting\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Traditional access to the metaverse has been depicted through a VR headset; and this is exactly what Meta envisions with \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamesindustry.biz\u002Farticles\u002F2021-12-03-oculus-quest-to-rebrand-as-meta-quest-in-2022\" target=\"_blank\">its rebranded Meta Quest arm\u003C\u002Fa>, which develops VR hardware and software. Going by VR alone, the approach holds \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F5-ways-medical-vr-is-changing-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">tremendous potential in healthcare\u003C\u002Fa>. There is a growing number of studies that already point to VR as being a beneficial, drug-free alternative for therapeutic pathways, whether it’s in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.stgeorges.nhs.uk\u002Fnewsitem\u002Fvr-headsets-relaxing-patients-during-surgery-at-st-georges\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">reducing post-surgical pain\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fvirtual-reality-help-women-get-through-childbirth-with-less-pain\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">making childbirth less painful\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fmonitor\u002Fjulaug05\u002Fcure\" target=\"_blank\">treating phobias\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"One-Minute Challenge: Virtual Reality - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FIVfmkds2PcQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, this is different from the concept of the metaverse. In the latter, instead of using a VR headset only for therapy, one would meet their therapist through the device as a digital avatar; have their consultation held in a virtual office; and can even head to a virtual pharmacy to order their prescription medicine (or VR app). Following that, they can meet up with fellow patient communities to share, in their avatar form, their treatment progress; and discuss new developments pertinent to their ailments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This offers a case to enhance the user experience as compared to online patient forums or current telemedical visits which happen through a flat screen. As such visits \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have become commonplace\u003C\u002Fa>, equipping them with a better interface could entice healthcare providers to extend their services to the metaverse. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, with the interconnectedness that seems to be integral to this “new internet”, a patient’s digital avatar \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techtimes.com\u002Farticles\u002F271630\u002F20220209\u002Fmetaverse-and-healthcare-what-s-in-it-for-you.htm\">will carry their digital medical\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techtimes.com\u002Farticles\u002F271630\u002F20220209\u002Fmetaverse-and-healthcare-what-s-in-it-for-you.htm\" target=\"_blank\"> \u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techtimes.com\u002Farticles\u002F271630\u002F20220209\u002Fmetaverse-and-healthcare-what-s-in-it-for-you.htm\">data\u003C\u002Fa> collected from direct-to-consumer services and wearables – essentially any digital data – and can more easily share them to their physician in the healthcare metaverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Is providing healthcare in the metaverse feasible?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As enticing as the prospect of extending healthcare to the metaverse sounds, we must consider its feasibility. The sheer volume of personal health data that will be involved represents \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fyour-privacy-in-the-digital-health-era-the-medical-futurists-guide\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a security and privacy concern\u003C\u002Fa>. One technology that has been touted to address such concerns is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhat-the-hell-is-blockchain-what-does-it-mean-for-healthcare-and-pharma\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blockchain\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Companies like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.burstiq.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">BurstIQ\u003C\u002Fa> are already leveraging this technology to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techtimes.com\u002Farticles\u002F271630\u002F20220209\u002Fmetaverse-and-healthcare-what-s-in-it-for-you.htm\" target=\"_blank\">assist healthcare institutions\u003C\u002Fa> in addressing healthcare themes such as risk assessment, patient engagement and secure handling of personal health data. Having a transparent approach to handling such sensitive information can help build trust for patients to head to the metaverse for medical purposes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, implementing this approach will represent a challenge of its own. Current metaverse contenders like \u003Cem>Fortnight \u003C\u002Fem>and \u003Cem>Roblox \u003C\u002Fem>aren’t interoperable, neither is Meta’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oculus.com\u002Fexperiences\u002Fquest\u002F2532035600194083\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003Cem>Horizon Worlds\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa> with Microsoft’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.microsoft.com\u002Finnovation-stories\u002Fmesh-for-microsoft-teams\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003Cem>Mesh\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa>. One cannot bring content obtained, bought or created in \u003Cem>Roblox \u003C\u002Fem>to \u003Cem>Horizon Worlds \u003C\u002Fem>and vice versa; and this goes against the concept of the metaverse in the first place. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Given how healthcare and electronic health systems have \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthcareitnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Finteroperability-where-its-headed-and-where-it-leaders-will-be-investing\" target=\"_blank\">a notorious legacy of interoperability issues\u003C\u002Fa>, thinking that the metaverse will take those woes away might be a pipedream. Already we are seeing separate visions and differing versions of the metaverse from Big Tech that don’t talk with each other, leading us to think in terms of ‘metaverses’ instead of a single interoperable metaverse. These \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnewsletters\u002F2022-02-11\u002Fthe-metaverse-makes-no-sense-and-here-s-why\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">logistics issues\u003C\u002Fa> cannot be taken lightly, especially when it comes to healthcare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On top of that comes practical issues with access to and handling VR headsets that pose as enablers of the metaverse. At $300, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oculus.com\u002Fquest-2\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Meta Quest 2\u003C\u002Fa> is arguably the most affordable way to get quality VR content. But even that price, significantly lower than other competitors’ headsets, might be a barrier to access the metaverse. Even those who adopt such a device might encounter other hurdles with the setting up the device; or simply having a 500g load strapped to one’s forehead might not be totally comfortable for extended periods of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s so much easier to communicate with people through phones and\u002For social media sites that envisioning all this happening in the metaverse seems like a far-fetched sci-fi idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>When life imitates art…\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It should not be forgotten that metaverse concepts from sources like \u003Cem>Snow Crash \u003C\u002Fem>and \u003Cem>Ready Player One\u003C\u002Fem>, which have clearly inspired Big tech, are set in a dystopian backdrop. And these might be drawing eerie parallels in the real-life metaverses. There have already been \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F16\u002F1042516\u002Fthe-metaverse-has-a-groping-problem\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">reports of sexual harrasments\u003C\u002Fa> in Meta’s Horizon Worlds app and other online virtual worlds. If tech companies cannot ensure a safe place in the metaverse at such an early stage, it raises questions as to how they will ensure it when (or if) more people engage with the platform. This does not paint a very promising picture of the internet’s so-called successor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, the recent push for the metaverse felt nothing like an organic move. The Facebook Company’s rebranding to Meta might very well have been a diversion tactic following \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Ftechnology-58784615\" target=\"_blank\">years of bad press\u003C\u002Fa>. And by betting on and overhyping something as vague as the metaverse and keeping it so \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fez.substack.com\u002Fp\u002Fmark-zuckerberg-is-a-liar-and-hes?utm_source=url\" target=\"_blank\">makes it impossible to fail\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s important to know the distinction between the metaverse and the VR experience as we highlighted here. A lot of evidence-based studies have been proving the use of VR for medical purposes. But for the same to happen for the metaverse too, we are so far away; and it might not even be worth the effort now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunnoo\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1748,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>A lot of evidence-based studies have been proving the use of VR for medical purposes. But can the same happen with the metaverse too? \u003C\u002Fp>\n",40163,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,488,1138,5,236],[1753,1754,1755],7523,7525,637,[],[],[1155,85,1759,1760,1761,519],1853,2345,2621,[1763,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,523,1158,105,264,1764,1765,1766],"post-39957","tag-metaverse","tag-online-healthcare","tag-telehealth",{"id":1749,"alt_text":1768,"caption":62,"description":62,"media_type":117,"media_details":1769,"post":1734,"source_url":1785},"Metaverse digital health",{"width":1770,"height":1771,"file":1772,"sizes":1773,"image_meta":1784},1340,754,"2022\u002F03\u002FMetaverse-tmf-small.png",{"medium":1774,"large":1777,"thumbnail":1780,"medium_large":1783},{"file":1775,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1776},"Metaverse-tmf-small-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FMetaverse-tmf-small-370x208.png",{"file":1778,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1779},"Metaverse-tmf-small-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FMetaverse-tmf-small-768x432.png",{"file":1781,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1782},"Metaverse-tmf-small-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FMetaverse-tmf-small-150x150.png",{"file":1778,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1779},{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002FMetaverse-tmf-small.png",{"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":1787,"related_posts_footer":1789,"related_posts":16},[1196,1788],30419,[1073,1790,1791],13949,15503,{"yoast_wpseo_title":1793,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1794,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1742},"How The Metaverse Could (Or Could Not) Transform Healthcare - The Medical Futurist","A lot of evidence-based studies have been proving the use of VR for medical purposes. But can the same happen with the metaverse too?",{"self":1796,"collection":1801,"about":1803,"author":1805,"replies":1807,"version-history":1810,"predecessor-version":1813,"wp:featuredmedia":1817,"wp:attachment":1820,"wp:term":1823,"curies":1834},[1797],{"href":1798,"targetHints":1799},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F39957",{"allow":1800},[27],[1802],{"href":173},[1804],{"href":176},[1806],{"embeddable":41,"href":441},[1808],{"embeddable":41,"href":1809},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=39957",[1811],{"count":369,"href":1812},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F39957\u002Frevisions",[1814],{"id":1815,"href":1816},40807,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F39957\u002Frevisions\u002F40807",[1818],{"embeddable":41,"href":1819},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F40163",[1821],{"href":1822},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=39957",[1824,1826,1828,1830,1832],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1825},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=39957",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1827},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=39957",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1829},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=39957",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1831},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=39957",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1833},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=39957",[1835],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1837,"date":1838,"date_gmt":1839,"guid":1840,"modified":1842,"modified_gmt":1843,"slug":1844,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1845,"title":1846,"content":1848,"excerpt":1850,"author":369,"featured_media":1852,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1853,"categories":1854,"tags":1856,"project_category":1865,"contact_email_category":1866,"yst_prominent_words":1867,"class_list":1874,"better_featured_image":1885,"acf":1905,"yoast_meta":1911,"_links":1914},37587,"2022-01-11T10:00:00","2022-01-11T09:00:00",{"rendered":1841},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=37587&_wpnonce=f618f0cc69&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-01-12T07:43:48","2022-01-12T06:43:48","covid-19-in-2022","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-in-2022",{"rendered":1847},"5 COVID-19 Discussions That Will Dominate 2022",{"rendered":1849,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We kickstarted the new year with a list of medical innovations to look out for in 2022. And while these are definitely promising trends to keep an eye on, we cannot overlook the elephant in the room: COVID-19. Yes, the pandemic is still persisting through 2022 and major discussions will revolve around that topic throughout the year. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>While these might not be directly related to digital health, they are important conversations around healthcare. And as a futurist, I can anticipate what discussions to expect, but I cannot be certain regarding how these will turn out. But by touching upon them, we can all be better prepared. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I\u003Cstrong>n this article, we will contemplate 5 areas of major COVID-19-related debates people can expect in 2022.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Chr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\u002F>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>1. Obligatory vaccinations\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Vaccination is still likely to be a contentious issue when it comes to COVID-19. However, countries might soon take a firmer stance on vaccinations. Already, countries like France and Italy have made \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2021\u002Fnov\u002F09\u002Fcovid-vaccine-mandates-around-the-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory\u003C\u002Fa> for healthcare workers. But many will follow Austria’s example of extending such mandates \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2021\u002Fnov\u002F19\u002Faustria-plans-compulsory-covid-vaccination-for-all\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to the public at large\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s a drastic measure, but one that Austrian officials hope will help limit the spread of the virus; especially given that the country already has \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aljazeera.com\u002Fnews\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F9\u002Faustria-plans-to-fine-coronavirus-vaccine-holdouts-up-to-4000\" target=\"_blank\">among the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates\u003C\u002Fa> in Western Europe. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34583\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“In spite of months of persuasion, we have not managed to convince enough people to be vaccinated,” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2021\u002Fnov\u002F19\u002Faustria-plans-compulsory-covid-vaccination-for-all\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said chancellor Alexander Schallenberg\u003C\u002Fa>. “We don’t want a fifth wave, we don’t want a sixth or a seventh wave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Other countries will relate to this latter statement and look to push forth similar mandates. This will not only perpetuate debates among those sceptical about COVID-19 vaccines but also among travellers facing ever-changing rules and regulations. For instance, following the spread of the Omicron variant, travellers from the U.K. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thetimes.co.uk\u002Ftravel\u002Ftravel-advice\u002Fwhich-countries-have-banned-uk-travellers\" target=\"_blank\">faced new bans and mandatory quarantines\u003C\u002Fa> from several countries around the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>2. COVID-19 pills\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Towards the tail end of 2021, molnupiravir, a new antiviral drug treatment that can be administered \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencefocus.com\u002Fnews\u002Fmolnupiravir-covid-pill\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">within 5 days of COVID-19 symptoms appearing\u003C\u002Fa>, picked up steam. Developed by pharma companies Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD), the antiviral comes in the form of an oral pill; and hence provides the convenience of being self-administered at home given the proper prescription. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Molnupiravir \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fhealth-59681571\" target=\"_blank\">was called a “game-changer”\u003C\u002Fa> by U.K. health secretary Sajid Javid, and the country even became the first to approve its use for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and at least one risk factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Fcovid-pill-cure-768x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34533\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Fcovid-pill-cure-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Fcovid-pill-cure.jpg 944w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fmontrealgazette.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This could very much set a trend, with more countries approving of the pill and more companies coming up with their own versions. It will draw parallels to the vaccination race from 2021. And with that, the anti-vaccination movement will get more fuel. They will ask why we need to vaccinate when we can treat the disease with a pill. It’s another hurdle that health authorities – and likely society at large – will need to face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>3. Vaccinating kids\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While children infected with COVID-19 generally don’t suffer from symptoms as severely as adults, they can still transmit the virus. Moreover, some can still become seriously ill. Given that children can represent a sizeable proportion of COVID-19 cases, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mayoclinic.org\u002Fdiseases-conditions\u002Fcoronavirus\u002Fin-depth\u002Fcoronavirus-in-babies-and-children\u002Fart-20484405\" target=\"_blank\">16% in the case of the U.S.\u003C\u002Fa>, health authorities are increasingly leaning towards promoting their vaccination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Last December, France’s Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.france24.com\u002Fen\u002Feurope\u002F20211220-france-approves-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-all-children-aged-5-11\" target=\"_blank\">approved the vaccination\u003C\u002Fa> of all children aged 5-11 with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Austria’s vaccination mandate will also apply to people aged 14 and above; and those refusing vaccines could even face fines of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aljazeera.com\u002Fnews\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F9\u002Faustria-plans-to-fine-coronavirus-vaccine-holdouts-up-to-4000\" target=\"_blank\">up to 3,600 euros\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_247-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32873\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_247-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_247-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_247-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_247-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Such actions will inevitably generate public or even global debate regarding whether vaccinations should be obligatory for kids. And if so, which vaccines should they receive and how old should they be to receive their shot? With the aforementioned examples only we can see a discrepancy in the age group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F24-11-2021-interim-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-for-children-and-adolescents\" target=\"_blank\">WHO suggests that\u003C\u002Fa> when devising such immunisation programmes, countries should consider the individual and population benefits in their specific epidemiological and social context. While this might be general advice to follow, the discussion is far from over as more and more countries open up vaccinations for children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>4. Second boosters shots\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u002F4th dose\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The spread of the Omicron variant \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F08\u002Fomicron-pfizer-ceo-says-we-may-need-fourth-covid-vaccine-doses-sooner-than-expected.html\" target=\"_blank\">prompted Pfizer’s CEO to say\u003C\u002Fa> that we will likely need a fourth dose (or a second booster) of the vaccine. When the vaccines rolled out in 2021, most of us weren’t even thinking about boosters; but now we are already talking about second boosters. Does this foretell a trend of requiring new boosters every few months or with the emergence of new variants? Will this make the virus shift from being a pandemic to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthis-is-how-we-can-end-covid-in-6-logical-steps\" target=\"_blank\">being an endemic\u003C\u002Fa>? And if so, when? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_248-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33069\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_248-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_248-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_248-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_248-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But some experts \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fpan-coronavirus-vaccine-variants-future-pandemics-2021-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">even predict that\u003C\u002Fa> the novel coronavirus will still linger around for longer than we wish. They are comparing it to the Spanish flu, which is itself persisting today in the form of a descendant as the seasonal flu. The latter mutates every year and requires new shots yearly. Does this mean that with COVID-19, we will have to live with booster shots all the time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>These are questions that we will increasingly be asking ourselves but might not have definitive answers to soon. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>5. Pandemic fatigue will kick in\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When the pandemic hit, it had a significant toll on frontliners. They \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwill-medical-workers-deal-with-ptsd-after-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\">got burnt out and were exhausted\u003C\u002Fa>, and some even had to grapple \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fchoosing-between-life-and-death-during-covid-19-the-a-i-trolley-problem\" target=\"_blank\">with ethical conundrums\u003C\u002Fa>. While this so-called pandemic fatigue hit them first, now the rest of the population will go through the same ordeal. This is because we simply cannot keep billions on alert for over 2 years. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As such, COVID-19 discussions in 2022 will also increasingly revolve around pandemic fatigue, how we can deal with it and how to assist those suffering from it. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F162_tmf-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"COVID-19 Takes a Toll on People in the Frontline\" class=\"wp-image-27743\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F162_tmf-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F162_tmf-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F162_tmf-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F162_tmf-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While the pandemic seems far from being over, it will eventually come to an end if we try to keep on acting responsibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunnoo\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\">\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1851,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>We kickstarted the new year with a list of medical innovations to look out for in 2022. And while these are definitely promising trends to […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",34583,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[1855,67,488,5],6479,[1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864],6895,7491,884,3083,4247,6041,6081,6365,[78,79,80],[],[1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,83,764,1873],2631,2655,3061,3079,5863,2413,[1875,51,95,96,97,98,99,1876,101,523,105,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,111,112,113],"post-37587","category-covid-19","tag-fatigue","tag-booster","tag-vaccination","tag-covid","tag-pandemic","tag-covid-19","tag-vaccine","tag-pfizer",{"id":1852,"alt_text":1886,"caption":62,"description":62,"media_type":117,"media_details":1887,"post":945,"source_url":1904},"TMF, drug, flu, woman, cold",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1888,"sizes":1889,"image_meta":1903},"2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01.png",{"medium":1890,"large":1893,"thumbnail":1896,"medium_large":1899,"1536x1536":1900},{"file":1891,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1892},"tmf_article_270-01-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-370x208.png",{"file":1894,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1895},"tmf_article_270-01-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-768x432.png",{"file":1897,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1898},"tmf_article_270-01-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-150x150.png",{"file":1894,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1895},{"file":1901,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1902},"tmf_article_270-01-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_270-01.png",{"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62,"subtitle":62,"related_books":1906,"related_posts_footer":1907,"related_posts":16},[832,556],[1908,1909,1910],27367,37393,23770,{"yoast_wpseo_title":1912,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":1913,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1845},"5 COVID-19 Discussions That Will Dominate 2022 - The Medical Futurist","Unexpectedly, the pandemic is still persisting through 2022, and major discussions will revolve around these topics throughout the year.",{"self":1915,"collection":1920,"about":1922,"author":1924,"replies":1926,"version-history":1929,"predecessor-version":1933,"wp:featuredmedia":1937,"wp:attachment":1940,"wp:term":1943,"curies":1954},[1916],{"href":1917,"targetHints":1918},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37587",{"allow":1919},[27],[1921],{"href":173},[1923],{"href":176},[1925],{"embeddable":41,"href":441},[1927],{"embeddable":41,"href":1928},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=37587",[1930],{"count":1931,"href":1932},13,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37587\u002Frevisions",[1934],{"id":1935,"href":1936},37879,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37587\u002Frevisions\u002F37879",[1938],{"embeddable":41,"href":1939},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F34583",[1941],{"href":1942},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=37587",[1944,1946,1948,1950,1952],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":1945},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=37587",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":1947},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=37587",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":1949},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=37587",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":1951},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=37587",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":1953},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=37587",[1955],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},{"id":1957,"date":1958,"date_gmt":1959,"guid":1960,"modified":1962,"modified_gmt":1963,"slug":1964,"status":50,"type":51,"link":1965,"title":1966,"content":1968,"excerpt":1970,"author":59,"featured_media":1972,"comment_status":61,"ping_status":61,"sticky":41,"template":62,"format":63,"meta":1973,"categories":1974,"tags":1975,"project_category":1978,"contact_email_category":1979,"yst_prominent_words":1980,"class_list":1982,"better_featured_image":1986,"acf":2006,"yoast_meta":2010,"_links":2013},37729,"2022-01-06T10:00:00","2022-01-06T09:00:00",{"rendered":1961},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=37729&_wpnonce=2f2ba88ee1&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-01-07T14:27:37","2022-01-07T13:27:37","books-to-read-in-2022","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fbooks-to-read-in-2022",{"rendered":1967},"The Medical Futurist’s Top 10 Books To Read",{"rendered":1969,"protected":16},"\n\u003Cp>I read a book every day, finishing, on average, one book\u002Fweek. But this doesn’t mean I’m not picky about what I read – quite the opposite, really, I am a demanding reader and I want my books to be both well-written and have a good storyline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I also think a good story is exactly what we all need after this year. Immersing in a good story is also a way to keep your brain fit and your mind off the hook. And as I am \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fdrbertalanmesko\u002F?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\">happily sharing\u003C\u002Fa> my reading experiences, I can wholeheartedly recommend a few among the many I have read this year – I promise, these are well worth your time. This is a handpicked list specialising in quality fiction and non-fiction books: all the good reads connecting to medicine, digital health, A.I. or science fiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"610\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.06.05-768x610.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37731\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.06.05-768x610.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.06.05.png 990w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Chr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\u002F>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>My favourite non-fiction books in 2021\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.adamgrant.net\u002Fbook\u002Fthink-again\u002F\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>THINK AGAIN by Adam Grant\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In two words: mind blown. Clearly, a masterpiece; in this book author Adam Grant examines the critical art of rethinking, how you can learn to question your opinions, and how you can change y\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwordwall.net\u002Fresource\u002F9545233\u002Fangol\u002Fmatch-the-feelings-with-the-definitions\">our old ways of thinking, and open other people’s minds, “\u003Cem>which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life\u003C\u002Fem>.” I learned a lot from this book in terms of how to be a better futurist and forecaster, following these methods.\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1067\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.23.33-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37745\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.23.33-edited.png 1067w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.23.33-edited-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1067px) 100vw, 1067px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ethankross.com\u002Fchatter\u002F#:~:text=Ethan%20Kross%20has%20written%20the,to%20live%20a%20fuller%20life.%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>CHATTER: THE VOICE IN OUR HEAD, WHY IT MATTERS, AND HOW TO HARNESS IT by Ethan Kross\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This extraordinary book has helped me a lot in regulating my inner chatter. Ethan Kross is an award-winning psychologist. In this book, he reveals the hidden power of our inner voice and shows how to harness it to combat anxiety and improve physical and mental health. The book even comes in handy to deepen our interpersonal relationships. In fact, I would even make this book into the schools’ curriculum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"991\" height=\"743\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.13.44-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37749\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.13.44-edited.png 991w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.13.44-edited-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 991px) 100vw, 991px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fperfectlyconfident.com\u002F\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>PERFECTLY CONFIDENT by Don A. Moore\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I’ve been calibrating my confidence since finishing this amazing book. Author Don A. Moore, an expert on the psychology of decision making at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, argues that the generation of parents that made sure they would raise over-confident kids who could do whatever they wanted in their lives made a mistake. Over-confidence often results in bad decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, under-confidence doesn’t allow people to give a shot to their dreams. The solution for us lies in calibration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1111\" height=\"834\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.35-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37751\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.35-edited.png 1111w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.35-edited-768x577.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1111px) 100vw, 1111px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodreads.com\u002Fbook\u002Fshow\u002F40764929-man-vs-machine\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>MAN VS. MACHINE by Karsten Müller & Jonathan Schaeffer\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A book all physicians who want to understand A.I. should be reading. This amazing book describes the evolution of chess machines, starting from Wolfgang von Kempelen’s The Turk, and goes all the way to the first chess software and finally the Leela Chess Zero, the world’s best chess player. My favourite quote from the book is by Monroe Newborn, computer chess developer and event organiser: ,,\u003Cem>Masters used to come to computer chess tournaments to laugh. Now they come to watch. Soon they will come to learn\u003C\u002Fem>.” This is exactly what physicians can expect from A.I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"851\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.24.21-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37757\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.24.21-edited.png 851w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.24.21-edited-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rohitbhargava.com\u002F2019\u002F12\u002F5-non-obvious-megatrends-changing-our-world-in-2020.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>NON-OBVIOUS MEGATRENDS by Rohit Bhargava\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If you want to understand how single trends form the bigger picture – and our world. For the past ten years, Rohit Bhargava created his annual trend reports, including trends that are not so obvious but have a high-level effect. He doesn’t focus on technology or changes, rather tries to collect them and see how they form the bigger picture. ‘Non Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future’ is the 10th-anniversary edition of his annual reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The author helps with understanding high-level trends: it is not about how one single digital health technology impacts our lives, but how having \u003Cem>several types\u003C\u002Fem> of digital health technologies will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"988\" height=\"741\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.27.44-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37761\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.27.44-edited.png 988w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.27.44-edited-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 988px) 100vw, 988px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\">\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>My favourite science fiction books in 2021\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"499\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.51-1-768x499.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37763\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.51-1-768x499.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.51-1.png 1136w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jessrothenberg.com\u002Fthekingdom\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>THE KINGDOM by Jess Rothenberg\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Happily ever after, but with robots. And murder. And Disneyland. I loved it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This book’s genius is about the viewpoint: it’s told through a robot’s perspective. Essentially, for me, this story was about how Ava, the robot developed a sense of consciousness. Plus it’s set in a kind of ‘evil robot Disney world’ run by wicked scientists, which was quite interesting to peek into.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"989\" height=\"741\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.34.02-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37767\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.34.02-edited.png 989w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.34.02-edited-768x575.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.andyweirauthor.com\u002Fbooks\u002Fproject-hail-mary-hc\u002Fproject-hail-mary-el\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Not because we’ve \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fp\u002FCWk_DJEILaq\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>shared a podium recently\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>, but because Andy Weir is a genius. An ode to science, puzzles, and, of course, to saving humankind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Project Hail Mary is Andy Weir’s third book, after The Martian and then Artemis. “\u003Cem>This book is part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian – while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.”\u003C\u002Fem> But this time, our protagonist has to go all-in: if he fails, humanity, and the Earth itself, will perish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1099\" height=\"824\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.24.17-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37769\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.24.17-edited.png 1099w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.24.17-edited-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1099px) 100vw, 1099px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodreads.com\u002Fbook\u002Fshow\u002F54120408-klara-and-the-sun\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>KLARA AND THE SUN by Kazuo Ishiguro\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Wonderful writing on artificial intelligence, the fragility of humans, love, life …and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Klara and the Sun by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro is a strong and disturbing story about artificial friends (robot companions) and the kind of relationships we could build with them. If you have seen the movie \u003Cem>\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=PavJUoZNT7g\" target=\"_blank\">The Skin I Live In\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fem> by Pedro Almodóvar, you know the feeling you will have while reading this book. It’s absolutely worth your time – but it’s not a simple story to digest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"816\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.22-768x816.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37735\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.22-768x816.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2021-12-22-at-13.25.22.png 1016w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ernestcline.com\u002F\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>READY PLAYER TWO by Ernest Cline\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If you have read the first one, you’d surely want to return to the Oasis. I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ernest Cline is, without a doubt, my favourite contemporary writer. I’ve read all of his books so far and will certainly read each upcoming one. Maybe because I loved ‘\u003Cem>Ready Player One\u003C\u002Fem>’ so much, I didn’t really need this sequel, although it does include some brilliant technologies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"995\" height=\"746\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.42.49-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37773\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.42.49-edited.png 995w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.42.49-edited-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fp\u002FCR6odoDB4Fu\u002F\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cu>by Becky Chambers\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The books by author Becky Chambers are absolutely amazing: smart, well-written and emotionally considerate. These are the best kind of science fiction I have read over the past years. I call her books \u003Cem>intercultural science fiction\u003C\u002Fem>; I find the ways she can describe alien races and how their entirely different cultures meet each other really peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The world needs such books now more than ever, to prepare people emotionally for a technology-filled planet, where human values should remain the same even a century from today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"905\" height=\"679\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.49.03-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37777\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.49.03-edited.png 905w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FScreen-Shot-2022-01-06-at-0.49.03-edited-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"has-text-align-center\">Hope you’ll find the time to read some of these books in 2022!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\">\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":1971,"protected":16},"\u003Cp>I read a book every day, finishing, on average, one book\u002Fweek. But this doesn’t mean I’m not picky about what I read – quite the opposite, […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",37503,{"_acf_changed":16,"footnotes":62},[66,5],[753,1976,1977],713,7489,[],[],[388,90,1981],3423,[1983,51,95,96,97,98,99,100,105,789,1984,1985],"post-37729","tag-books","tag-7489",{"id":1972,"alt_text":62,"caption":62,"description":1987,"media_type":117,"media_details":1988,"post":1909,"source_url":2005},"books",{"width":119,"height":120,"file":1989,"sizes":1990,"image_meta":2004},"2022\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_310-01-1.png",{"medium":1991,"large":1994,"thumbnail":1997,"medium_large":2000,"1536x1536":2001},{"file":1992,"width":125,"height":126,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1993},"tmf_article_310-01-1-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_310-01-1-370x208.png",{"file":1995,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1996},"tmf_article_310-01-1-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_310-01-1-768x432.png",{"file":1998,"width":136,"height":136,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1999},"tmf_article_310-01-1-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_310-01-1-150x150.png",{"file":1995,"width":131,"height":132,"mime-type":127,"source_url":1996},{"file":2002,"width":141,"height":142,"mime-type":127,"source_url":2003},"tmf_article_310-01-1-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_310-01-1-1536x864.png",{"aperture":145,"credit":62,"camera":62,"caption":62,"created_timestamp":145,"copyright":62,"focal_length":145,"iso":145,"shutter_speed":145,"title":62,"orientation":145},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_310-01-1.png",{"subtitle":62,"related_books":2007,"related_posts_footer":2008,"related_posts":16,"cta_type":62,"cta_color":62},[832,833],[1909,1910,2009],37057,{"yoast_wpseo_title":2011,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":2012,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":1965},"The Medical Futurist's Top 10 Books To Read - The Medical Futurist","A handpicked list specialising in quality fiction and non-fiction books: all the good reads connecting to medicine, digital health, A.I. or science fiction.",{"self":2014,"collection":2019,"about":2021,"author":2023,"replies":2025,"version-history":2028,"predecessor-version":2032,"wp:featuredmedia":2036,"wp:attachment":2039,"wp:term":2042,"curies":2053},[2015],{"href":2016,"targetHints":2017},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37729",{"allow":2018},[27],[2020],{"href":173},[2022],{"href":176},[2024],{"embeddable":41,"href":179},[2026],{"embeddable":41,"href":2027},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=37729",[2029],{"count":2030,"href":2031},8,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37729\u002Frevisions",[2033],{"id":2034,"href":2035},37847,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F37729\u002Frevisions\u002F37847",[2037],{"embeddable":41,"href":2038},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F37503",[2040],{"href":2041},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=37729",[2043,2045,2047,2049,2051],{"taxonomy":11,"embeddable":41,"href":2044},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=37729",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":41,"href":2046},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=37729",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":41,"href":2048},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=37729",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":41,"href":2050},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=37729",{"taxonomy":210,"embeddable":41,"href":2052},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=37729",[2054],{"name":39,"href":40,"templated":41},[],[],1785908382917]