[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":318},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-health-it-or-digital-health-the-gary-rule-helps":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":187,"relatedBooks":317},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":32,"project_category":43,"contact_email_category":44,"yst_prominent_words":45,"class_list":60,"better_featured_image":78,"acf":123,"yoast_meta":132,"_links":134},21778,"2018-09-11T08:04:22","2018-09-11T06:04:22",{"rendered":9},"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F","2022-05-25T18:15:35","2022-05-25T16:15:35","health-it-or-digital-health-the-gary-rule-helps","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhealth-it-or-digital-health-the-gary-rule-helps",{"rendered":17},"Health IT Or Digital Health? The Gary-Rule Helps!",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"5px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp style=\"color: #555;font-size: 12px;line-height: 14px\">THIS ARTICLE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2018. THE INFORMATION SHARED IN THE ARTICLE WAS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF ITS PUBLICATION, BUT IT MAY BE OUT OF DATE NOW. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmagazine\">BROWSE OUR LATEST ARTICLES HERE\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Ftbody>\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When it’s difficult to draw a line between health IT and digital health, the “Gary-rule” as a general rule of thumb could help. It means that any tech-related issue in a healthcare setting that Gary, the IT guy can solve belongs to health IT. On the other hand, problems in the medical-technological universe, which cannot get resolved without the involvement of other stakeholders of healthcare constitute the terrain of digital health, writes Dr. Meskó in his \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjctres.com\u002Fen\u002F03.2017S3.006\u002F\">article\u003C\u002Fa> published in the latest edition of the Journal of Clinical and Translational Research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003C!--more-->\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The Gary-rule\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s hard to draw a definitive line between health IT and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto\">digital health issues\u003C\u002Fa>, although delineating a clear territory for them might help caregivers use new technologies to improve and expedite their job so that in the end they may spend more time with patients. The two areas are often intermingled while their nature and the solution they require are different on many scales. In a nutshell, IT issues impact physicians’ everyday job the most but can be dealt with in the short term. Digital health has more impact on cultural changes and entails a long-term process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To make the difference crystal-clear for medical professionals, policy-makers or anyone interested in the future of healthcare, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjctres.com\u002Fen\u002F03.2017S3.006\u002F\">Dr. Meskó suggests using the Gary-rule\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>If a technological issue comes up in a healthcare setting such as the antivirus software becomes outdated or the electronic medical record system stopped working, and we have to call Gary, the IT guy, as he is alone capable of solving it whatever methods he uses, it’s an IT issue. If Gary is not enough to address the problem because more stakeholders of healthcare must get involved,\u003C\u002Fstrong> (e.g., letting patients bring the data of their trackers into the medical practice and merge that with electronic medical records, or allowing physicians to do remote consultations on a regular basis), \u003Cstrong>it’s digital health\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-21780\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FDigital-Health-Versus-Health-IT.png\" alt=\"Health IT\" class=\"wp-image-21780\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FDigital-Health-Versus-Health-IT.png 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FDigital-Health-Versus-Health-IT-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FDigital-Health-Versus-Health-IT-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FDigital-Health-Versus-Health-IT-512x288.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.thestem.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Health IT – WannaCry, anti-virus software and communication failures of EMR\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Do you remember \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-nhs-ransomware-attack-data-privacy-in-digital-health-part-one\">the WannaCry scandal\u003C\u002Fa>, the global cyberattack that infected 300,000 computers in 150 countries using hacking tools? It also crippled the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. UK hospitals were shut down and had to turn away non-emergency patients after ransomware ransacked its networks. That was the complete and utter failure of the health IT infrastructure. Since that attack, not only hospitals doubled down on cybersecurity, but Microsoft also started to take cybersecurity in healthcare as seriously as never before. The ransomware \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.beckershospitalreview.com\u002Fhealthcare-information-technology\u002F6-updates-on-the-worldwide-ransomware-attack.html\">exploited\u003C\u002Fa> a vulnerability Microsoft had created a patch for two months prior, but many organizations — including hospitals — had not appropriately updated their systems before the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Failures of health IT issues on a less systemic level are not as visible but could be just as crippling for patients and medical professionals. It could even endanger patients’ lives. For example, in February 2016, an anti-virus software started running on a computer that monitored a patient who was undergoing highly sensitive heart surgery in a US hospital. The monitoring equipment failed during the operation. An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that anti-malware software was responsible for the failure of the equipment, as it was set to scan for viruses every hour, against the recommendation of the equipment maker. The problem, which sounds banal and devastatingly scary at the same time, can be instantly resolved by turning off the scanning function of the software. That’s health IT.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-21781\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FWannaCry-And-The-NHS.jpg\" alt=\"Health IT\" class=\"wp-image-21781\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FWannaCry-And-The-NHS.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FWannaCry-And-The-NHS-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FWannaCry-And-The-NHS-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FWannaCry-And-The-NHS-512x288.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.bt.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Digital health – Where robots are members of the healthcare team\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Digital health issues are different in nature. Patients bring data they measure with sensors for their health or medical condition to the doctor-patient meeting and expect their caregivers to address technological questions in addition to medical issues. A medical robot can be a valuable asset to the team in a healthcare facility to deal with the labor burden during night shifts when fewer people are working the floors. While the robot can facilitate the caregivers’ job, it takes time and effort to get accustomed to a robot being a member of their team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Medical professionals use technologies daily as medical records are being digitized worldwide, and smartphone apps are widespread. Since the dawn of digital health, medical professionals have gradually had to accommodate health sensors and internet-based services. Using digital health is a team effort. Thus \u003Cstrong>the era of lonely doctor heroes will end. The success of providing health services depends on collaboration, empathy, and shared decision making. What’s necessary for the implementation of care in the digital era is a newly defined cooperation between patients and their caregivers that allows room for new technologies\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-21782\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"628\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FRobot-Doctor.jpg\" alt=\"Health IT\" class=\"wp-image-21782\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FRobot-Doctor.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FRobot-Doctor-768x555.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FRobot-Doctor-512x370.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.youtube.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Digital health is a cultural transformation\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite popular belief, disruptive technologies cannot bring change on their own. Social media, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, virtual or augmented reality and health sensors have no effect whatsoever without a change in stakeholders’ attitude and the structure of the system. That’s what digital health is bringing to the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As patients started to gain access to information through the Internet and all kinds of technologies from health sensors through VR until smartphone apps that before were only available in the so-called ‘ivory tower of medicine,’ patient empowerment was born. This made patients proactive and wish to have an equal-level partnership instead of a hierarchical dependence on their physicians. They want to take an active part in the decision-making process regarding their health and contribute data they measure at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto\">a cultural transformation\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003Cem>A shift that changes the essence of the doctor-patient relationship and the entire structure of current healthcare systems. And a change that Gary, the IT guy cannot bring about to happen, only stakeholders in healthcare together can\u003C\u002Fem>.\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",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>When it’s difficult to draw a line between health IT and digital health, the “Gary-rule” as a general rule of thumb could help. It means that any tech-related issue in a healthcare setting that Gary, the IT guy can solve belongs to health IT. On the other hand, problems in the medical-technological universe, which cannot get resolved without the involvement of other stakeholders of healthcare constitute the terrain of digital health, writes Dr. Meskó in his article published in the latest edition of the Journal of Clinical and Translational Research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",6,21779,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31],798,[33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42],275,339,425,630,691,702,817,206,207,246,[],[],[46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59],1631,1681,1683,1723,1729,1739,1795,1883,1571,2471,1579,4043,1617,4047,[61,14,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77],"post-21778","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-health-research","tag-healthcare","tag-online","tag-technology-2","tag-digital-technology","tag-wannacry","tag-health-it","tag-security","tag-digital","tag-digital-health","tag-future",{"id":24,"alt_text":79,"caption":27,"description":80,"media_type":81,"media_details":82,"post":5,"source_url":122},"TMF, Gary Rule","TMF","image",{"width":83,"height":84,"file":85,"sizes":86,"image_meta":119},870,489,"2018\u002F09\u002F015_healthit_vs_digital_health.png",{"medium":87,"large":93,"thumbnail":98,"medium_large":102,"large_old_512x288":103,"thumbnail_old_150x150":108,"medium_old_370x208":110,"medium_large_old_768x432":113,"large_old_512x288_old_512x288":116},{"file":88,"width":89,"height":90,"mime-type":91,"source_url":92},"015_healthit_vs_digital_health-370x208.png",370,208,"image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002F015_healthit_vs_digital_health-370x208.png",{"file":94,"width":95,"height":96,"mime-type":91,"source_url":97},"015_healthit_vs_digital_health-768x432.png",768,432,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002F015_healthit_vs_digital_health-768x432.png",{"file":99,"width":100,"height":100,"mime-type":91,"source_url":101},"015_healthit_vs_digital_health-150x150.png",150,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002F015_healthit_vs_digital_health-150x150.png",{"file":94,"width":95,"height":96,"mime-type":91,"source_url":97},{"file":104,"width":105,"height":106,"mime-type":91,"source_url":107},"015_healthit_vs_digital_health-512x288.png",512,288,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002F015_healthit_vs_digital_health-512x288.png",{"file":99,"width":109,"height":109,"mime-type":91,"source_url":101},"150",{"file":88,"width":111,"height":112,"mime-type":91,"source_url":92},"370","208",{"file":94,"width":114,"height":115,"mime-type":91,"source_url":97},"768","432",{"file":104,"width":117,"height":118,"mime-type":91,"source_url":107},"512","288",{"aperture":120,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":120,"copyright":27,"focal_length":120,"iso":120,"shutter_speed":120,"title":27,"orientation":120,"keywords":121},"0",[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002F015_healthit_vs_digital_health.png",{"related_posts":124,"related_posts_footer":128,"cta_type":27,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":20},[125,126,127],16405,17164,17494,[129,130,131],15693,15795,14049,{"yoast_wpseo_title":133,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":27,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"Health IT Or Digital Health? The Gary-Rule Helps! - The Medical Futurist",{"self":135,"collection":141,"about":144,"author":147,"replies":150,"version-history":153,"predecessor-version":157,"wp:featuredmedia":161,"wp:attachment":164,"wp:term":167,"curies":183},[136],{"href":137,"targetHints":138},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F21778",{"allow":139},[140],"GET",[142],{"href":143},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[145],{"href":146},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[148],{"embeddable":26,"href":149},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F6",[151],{"embeddable":26,"href":152},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=21778",[154],{"count":155,"href":156},12,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F21778\u002Frevisions",[158],{"id":159,"href":160},46473,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F21778\u002Frevisions\u002F46473",[162],{"embeddable":26,"href":163},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F21779",[165],{"href":166},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=21778",[168,171,174,177,180],{"taxonomy":169,"embeddable":26,"href":170},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=21778",{"taxonomy":172,"embeddable":26,"href":173},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=21778",{"taxonomy":175,"embeddable":26,"href":176},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=21778",{"taxonomy":178,"embeddable":26,"href":179},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=21778",{"taxonomy":181,"embeddable":26,"href":182},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=21778",[184],{"name":185,"href":186,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[188],{"id":131,"date":189,"date_gmt":190,"guid":191,"modified":193,"modified_gmt":194,"slug":195,"status":13,"type":14,"link":196,"title":197,"content":199,"excerpt":201,"author":23,"featured_media":203,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":20,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":204,"categories":205,"tags":207,"project_category":218,"contact_email_category":219,"yst_prominent_words":220,"class_list":228,"better_featured_image":241,"acf":271,"yoast_meta":272,"_links":275},"2016-09-21T15:45:05","2016-09-21T13:45:05",{"rendered":192},"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?p=14049","2021-12-06T01:04:46","2021-12-06T00:04:46","disruptive-technologies-bioterrorism","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdisruptive-technologies-bioterrorism",{"rendered":198},"Disruptive Technologies Push Bioterrorism To A Whole New Level",{"rendered":200,"protected":20},"\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"5px\"> \u003Ctbody> \u003Ctr> \u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"> \u003Cp style=\"color: #555;font-size: 12px;line-height: 14px\">THIS ARTICLE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2016. THE INFORMATION SHARED IN THE ARTICLE WAS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF ITS PUBLICATION, BUT IT MAY BE OUT OF DATE NOW. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmagazine\">BROWSE OUR LATEST ARTICLES HERE\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp> \u003C\u002Ftd> \u003C\u002Ftr> \u003C\u002Ftbody> \u003C\u002Ftable> \u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Terrorism is and will always be out there as we do not live in a world depicted in the movie Minority Report where crimes can be prevented by foreseeing them. We cannot and we do not want to supervise people’s lives as that would be the death of privacy. Also, disruptive technologies not only enhance the opportunities of true visionaries who want to make the world a better place but also the dreams of the bad guys ready for such dreadful acts as bioterrorism. We need to talk about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003C!--more-->\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Biological sabotage campaigns and anthrax attacks: bioterrorism in the past\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although the term bioterrorism was coined in a book entitled \u003Cem>Killing Winds\u003C\u002Fem> by Jeanne McDermott only in 1987, in its modern meaning – so not looking at such ancient examples as when the German tribes poisoned wells to thwart the Roman invasion – it goes back at least \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FBioterrorism#History\">to the First World War\u003C\u002Fa>. At that time, Germany launched a biological sabotage campaign in the United States, Russia, Romania and France with the overall purpose to infect animals such as cavalry horses or mules with e.g. glanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Later on, the use of biological weapons was not only limited to animal populations, but these were used to cause harm to people. One of the most famous attempt for a bioterrorist attack was carried out in Japan in the 1990s – and blissfully not a single person got hurt. The religious cult Aum Shinrikyo released anthrax in the subway of Tokyo in June 1993, however they used vaccine strains which are missing the genes that cause a symptomatic response. Although two years later, t\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.history.com\u002Fthis-day-in-history\u002Ftokyo-subways-are-attacked-with-sarin-gas\">he group went down again: it attacked people in the Tokyo metro lines with chemical weapons (sarin gas)\u003C\u002Fa>, which resulted in the death of several innocent passengers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Also, in the wake of 9\u002F11, there was a wave of anthrax attacks which diverted the attention of the public towards bioterrorism as a new weapon in the arsenal of terrorists. \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2008\u002FCRIME\u002F08\u002F06\u002Fanthrax.case\u002Findex.html\">A US federal prosecutor later found\u003C\u002Fa> that a US army biological researcher was responsible for mailing anthrax-laced letters which killed 5 and sickened 15 people in 2001. The cases generated huge media attention and the fear of a new kind of terrorist warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fopening-an-anthrax-letter.jpg\" alt=\"Anthrax Letter - Bioterrorism\" class=\"wp-image-14054\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fopening-an-anthrax-letter.jpg 640w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fopening-an-anthrax-letter-512x336.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fopening-an-anthrax-letter-381x250.jpg 381w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although bioterrorism, by definition, involves biological agents such as bacteria, virus or toxins which are released with the intention to cause harm: illness or death in people, animals, or plants, I think with the advances in medicine, healthcare, biology and life sciences in general, we will have to adopt a new definition. Anything related to a living organism can be used for harmful purposes. The use of new technologies proves this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Existing technologies for bioterrorism\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the advance of technology, medical devices are more and more interconnected and use more and more patient data. On the one hand, it is a positive development, on the other, it causes a serious security challenge. Fortunately, there are no examples for actual abuses of medical technology of this kind, however, we should familiarize with the existing dangers to be able to avoid the pitfalls with potentially lethal consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The Achilles’ tendon of diabetes patients: insulin pumps\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2011, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.theregister.co.uk\u002F2011\u002F10\u002F27\u002Ffatal_insulin_pump_attack\u002F\">a researcher from the McAfee tech company demonstrated\u003C\u002Fa> at a conference in Miami how insulin pumps might be hacked to deliver fatal doses to diabetes patients. Software and a special antenna designed by him allowed for locating and seizing control of any device within 300 feet. The possibility of hacking insulin pumps is scary to say the least. \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fericbasu\u002F2013\u002F08\u002F03\u002Fhacking-insulin-pumps-and-other-medical-devices-reality-not-fiction\u002F#1152f29d4327\">According to Forbes\u003C\u002Fa>, the problem is that medical professionals are either not aware of security risks or (naturally) do not have IT skills to ask the “sensitive” questions, and while medical devices are becoming more and more networked, security requirements are not keeping up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"586\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Finsulin-pump-sabotage.jpg\" alt=\"insulin-pump-sabotage\" class=\"wp-image-14056\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Finsulin-pump-sabotage.jpg 586w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Finsulin-pump-sabotage-512x371.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Finsulin-pump-sabotage-345x250.jpg 345w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 586px) 100vw, 586px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"> \u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Might terrorists mess with our bodies and our brains? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And it is not only an issue for insulin pumps. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002F2015\u002F11\u002Fmedical-devices-that-are-vulnerable-to-life-threatening-hacks\u002F#slide-1\">Security threats are prevalent\u003C\u002Fa> in the case of X-ray systems, blood refrigeration units, CT scanning equipment, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) or implantable neurological devices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fthejns.org\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.3171\u002F2009.4.FOCUS0985\">Researchers found that\u003C\u002Fa> neural implantable devices hold the potential to improve many patients’ lives dramatically, but unfortunately, there is no guarantee at the moment that neural devices are robust against adversarial entities trying to exploit these devices to alter, block, or eavesdrop on neural signals. And previous examples show that ill-intentioned individuals might have no qualm whatsoever in exploiting such loopholes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fneural_implants.png\" alt=\"Neural Implants\" class=\"wp-image-14057\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fneural_implants.png 640w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fneural_implants-512x266.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fneural_implants-458x238.png 458w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Farchive.wired.com\u002Fpolitics\u002Fsecurity\u002Fnews\u002F2008\u002F03\u002Fepilepsy\">In November 2007 and March 2008 individuals placed flashing animations\u003C\u002Fa> on epilepsy support websites, causing some patients with photosensitive epilepsy to experience seizures. And imagine what could happen if prosthetic limb systems will allow physicians to connect wirelessly to neural implants to adjust settings or deep brain simulators which can treat Parkinson disease or chronic pain and devices for cognitive function augmentation. Imagine what could happen if hackers decide to bombard the brain through these simulators with random signals or would interfere with the normal formation of memories. Such interference with individuals’ brains might result in irreversible consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>And what about our hearts? Is hacking pacemakers possible?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One year ago, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.computerworld.com\u002Farticle\u002F2981527\u002Fcybercrime-hacking\u002Fresearchers-hack-a-pacemaker-kill-a-man-nequin.html\">researchers at the human simulation program of the University of Alabama were able to wirelessly hack a pacemaker\u003C\u002Fa>, and to successfully launch brute force and denial of service attacks being able to virtually kill an iStan patient – the most advanced wireless patient simulator. And why should anyone care that a simulated human can be hacked? Because of the dreaded ripple effect. According to the researchers, “If medical training environments are breached, the long term ripple effect on the medical profession, potentially, impacts thousands of lives due to incorrect analysis of life threatening critical data by medical personnel.” And if you still have some doubts, just \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fnews\u002Fthe-switch\u002Fwp\u002F2013\u002F10\u002F21\u002Fyes-terrorists-could-have-hacked-dick-cheneys-heart\u002F\">ask former US Vice President, Dick Cheney\u003C\u002Fa>, whose doctors in 2013 disabled the wireless program in his pacemaker because of concerns that a hacker might use it to deliver a fatal shock to his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"590\" height=\"378\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fhacking-pacemakers.jpg\" alt=\"Hacking pacemaker - bioterrorism\" class=\"wp-image-14058\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fhacking-pacemakers.jpg 590w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fhacking-pacemakers-512x328.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fhacking-pacemakers-390x250.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And such fears are far from being overstretched. An American Action Forum \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.beckershospitalreview.com\u002Fhealthcare-information-technology\u002Femr-hacks-have-compromised-94-million-health-records-this-year.html\">report\u003C\u002Fa> indicates \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.beckershospitalreview.com\u002Fhealthcare-information-technology\u002F19-latest-healthcare-data-breaches.html\">hacks concerning the electrical medical records (EMR)\u003C\u002Fa> – thus the first step towards medical\u002Fbioterrorism through technology – have more than doubled since 2014, with more than 94 million EMRs being compromised. These breaches have cost the American healthcare system an estimated $50 billion. And the non-financial consequences might be even more serious. I believe if we do not pay more attention to the IT security aspects of interconnected and data-driven medical devices, we might easily find ourselves in situations such as the one in the US television series \u003Cem>Homeland\u003C\u002Fem> where the US Vice President was killed through manipulation of his pacemaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The dark side of future technologies\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As you could see, there are already tangible dangers of using effective medical devices for destruction instead of healing. And imagine how far technological development might get. Here, I compiled a list about the possible technological devices and medical developments affected by the same security concerns in the future. I believe that we will have to find the right answers for every security and privacy concern before technology will be used widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Might chips and implants lead to brain damage?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Brain implants will be able to empower humans with superpowers from our wildest dreams. We all might become supermen and superwomen with the help of chips \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002F10-brain-implant-superpowers-2014-5\">which allow for hearing a conversation from across a room\u003C\u002Fa>, give the ability to see in the dark, control moods, restore memories or “download” skills such as in \u003Cem>The Matrix\u003C\u002Fem> movie trilogy. However, as I mentioned before, implantable neuro-devices might become dreadful weapons in the hands of the wrong people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"579\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fbrain-microchips.jpg\" alt=\"Brain microchips - Bioterrorism\" class=\"wp-image-14059\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fbrain-microchips.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fbrain-microchips-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fbrain-microchips-512x341.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fbrain-microchips-376x250.jpg 376w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When we have implanted microchips in the brain to enhance cognitive capabilities, this could become a platform for hackers to cause damage from a distance. They could turn on functionalities, simply turn off devices or bombard the brain with random, useless or harmful messages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Could health sensors under the skin and in our bellies cause harm?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As the medical wearable and sensor market is booming, it is logical to think ahead, what might follow the “wearable revolution”. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhat-comes-after-the-wearable-health-revolution\u002F\">I believe the next step will be\u003C\u002Fa> insideables, digestables or digital tattoos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca class=\"img\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002F20140201211902-19886490-the-next-sensor-will-be-in-you-insideables\">Insideables\u003C\u002Fa> mean devices implanted into the body or just under the skin. There are people already having such RFID implants with which they can open up a laptop, a smartphone or even the garage door. Swallowable “digestables“, pills or tiny gadgets could track digestion and the absorption of drugs, while digital tattoos might easily measure all fundamental health parameters and vital signs. Such teeny-tiny devices might be misused by allowing them to infuse lethal drugs into the organism or by stripping off the person of his privacy. That is the reason why it is of utmost importance to pay attention to the security aspect of these devices – since they can be vulnerable to attacks and our lives will depend on the safety precautions of the company developing them.\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14060\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdigital-tattoo.jpg\" alt=\"Digital tattoo - bioterrorism\" width=\"820\" height=\"420\"\u003C\u002Fa srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdigital-tattoo.jpg 820w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdigital-tattoo-768x393.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdigital-tattoo-512x262.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdigital-tattoo-458x235.jpg 458w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Could 3D-printed organs be medicine’s black market?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The issue will not be whether \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Fprinted-organs-black-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3D bioprinting human organs\u003C\u002Fa> can solve organ shortages, or whether it’s affordable or whether it’s disruptive enough. The question is how the bad guys will find ways to use these technologies in unsafe, unregulated ways. My concern lies in the languorous workings of today’s medical regulatory bodies. If 3D-printing technologies arrive and are disseminated quickly, then healthcare providers will flood the market with affordable and potentially miraculous treatments. If they arrive in fits and starts, other interests will try to plug the gap. Like always, there are illegal ways of getting organs to people in need, and when bioprinting becomes mainstream practice in medicine, then the bad guys might come up with solutions themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Alternatively, if you can print out organs based on that patient’s own stem cells in a short amount of time, it will become a normal element of healthcare, and then there’s no reason to print organs in a criminal way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"583\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fmiddle-1.jpg\" alt=\"Organ bioprinting \" class=\"wp-image-14099\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fmiddle-1.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fmiddle-1-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fmiddle-1-512x343.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fmiddle-1-373x250.jpg 373w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Nanobots as lethal devices?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the far future, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhy-people-should-not-fear-digital-health\u002F\">robots on the nanoscale could live in our bloodstream\u003C\u002Fa> or on our eyeballs and prevent any diseases by alerting the patient when a condition is about to develop. They could interact with our organs, measure every health parameter and intervene if necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nanobots are so tiny that it is almost impossible to discover when someone for example puts one into your glass and you swallow it. Some people are afraid that by using such tiny devices, total surveillance would become feasible – since nothing can remain hidden when there is a robot swimming through your bodily fluids. There also might be the possibility there to utilize these nanobots to deliver toxic or even lethal drugs to the organs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fnanobots.jpg\" alt=\"Nanobots - Bioterrorism\" class=\"wp-image-14061\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fnanobots.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fnanobots-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fnanobots-512x384.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fnanobots-333x250.jpg 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Too smart homes?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhealthcare-is-coming-home\u002F\">The era of smart homes as the embodiment of the Internet of Things is upon us\u003C\u002Fa>. All imaginable devices grow smarter and become more interconnected in our homes, our most private part of our lives. Sensors communicate with each other – often without the interference of humans – and send immeasurable amounts of data to clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You wake up in your bedroom, and your smart \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.withings.com\u002Fus\u002Fwithings-aura.html\">sleep monitors\u003C\u002Fa> tell you the quality of your sleep. Afterwards, you go into the kitchen to have breakfast and your morning coffee. There could be smart forks and spoons that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hapi.com\u002Fproduct\u002Fhapifork\">teach you how to eat slowly\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffood-scanners\u002F\">Scanners\u003C\u002Fa> could measure the ingredients, allergens and toxins in your food and let smartphone applications help control your diet. But also, imagine toilets with microchips similar to the MC10 biostamps, sensors logging movement patterns, bathroom sensors following patterns of water usage, digital mirrors measuring basic vital signs. The notion that “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-health-insurance-preparing-for-dr-big-brother\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Big Brother\u003C\u002Fa>” is supervising every aspect of life might be terrifying, annoying and dangerous at the same time. If people find a way to look into the data obtained by our home sensors, they actually peek into our most private life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"456\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F08\u002Fsmart-home.png\" alt=\"Healthcare Home - Smart Home\" class=\"wp-image-13897\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F08\u002Fsmart-home.png 650w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F08\u002Fsmart-home-512x359.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F08\u002Fsmart-home-356x250.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Might robots do harm?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the rapid development of the industry, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F2016\u002F05\u002F31\u002Fthe-coolest-medical-robots-in-sci-fi-movies\u002F\">robots gradually emerge from the sci-fi movies\u003C\u002Fa> and enter the world of healthcare. Surgical robots constitute one of the most important strain of medical robots. For example, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.davincisurgery.com\u002F\">the da Vinci Surgical System\u003C\u002Fa> enables the surgeon to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control. Thus it contributes greatly to a successful procedure. However, these types of robots have certain security and privacy indications which are not explored in details yet. But there are already signs that they should be. Last year \u003Ca href=\"(https:\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002Fs\u002F537001\u002Fsecurity-experts-hack-teleoperated-surgical-robot\u002F\">MIT reported that\u003C\u002Fa> researchers at the University of Washington successfully demonstrated that a cyberattack can be carried out against medical telerobots. Imagine what might happen if a hacker disrupts an operation by disturbing the communication connection between the robot surgeon and the human giving commands to the robotic scalpel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdavinci-inline.jpg\" alt=\"Surgical Robots - People should not be afraid of digital health technology\" class=\"wp-image-14098\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdavinci-inline.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdavinci-inline-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdavinci-inline-512x384.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002Fdavinci-inline-333x250.jpg 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>DIY labs and 3D printing drugs as the citadels of drug lords?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Community labs such as \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.thecitizensciencelab.org\u002F\">The Citizen Science Lab\u003C\u002Fa> in Pittsburgh are getting more and more popular. The aim of these laboratories is to spark more interest in life sciences in citizens from small children to pensioners. In these labs people can create whatever they want from producing a drug to using genome editing. However, such DIY biotech projects raise a lot of safety concerns. As the price of lab equipment goes down, the elements of scientific experiments become affordable to anyone. Some say that they carry the risk that criminals or terrorists might use such labs to create materials or use the scientific methods for their own, ill-minded purposes. There are people who think that scientists have been given the right and the responsibility to use such methods and materials – and it is not incidental. It might be dangerous when anyone can make use of these.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fcitizen-science-lab.jpg\" alt=\"Citizen Science Lab - Why people should not fear digital health technology\" class=\"wp-image-13390\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fcitizen-science-lab.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fcitizen-science-lab-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fcitizen-science-lab-512x384.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fcitizen-science-lab-333x250.jpg 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The rise of citizen scientists not only results in a new generation of amazing researchers, but also a\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fmotherboard.vice.com\u002Fread\u002Fthe-drug-lords-of-tomorrow-will-be-biohackers\"> new platform for criminals to create dangerous substances, drugs and biotech weapons.\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Artificial Intelligence\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The potential in artificial intelligence is unimaginable at the moment. No one knows how the capabilities for AI will look like in the next 20, 30 or 50 years. The biggest fear is that AI will become so sophisticated that it will work better than the human brain and after a while it will aim to take control over our lives. \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftechnology-30290540\">Stephen Hawking even said that\u003C\u002Fa> the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Elon Musk agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By far the scariest scenario involves hacking AI systems which we will have in place to defend us, create a comfortable life and do things we do not like to do from organizing traffic jams and the stock market to making difficult medical decisions. If criminals find a way to hack into it, we are literally doomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"677\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F08\u002FArtificial-Intelligence.jpg\" alt=\"Artificial Intelligence Will Redesign Healthcare\" class=\"wp-image-13661\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The other side of the coin does also not sound as a rosy walk in a park on a Sunday afternoon. Imagine what if AI would have the capability to hack into systems such as humans do. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inverse.com\u002Farticle\u002F5509-why-hackers-stay-ahead-of-artificial-intelligence\">At the moment human hackers have clear advantages vis-á-vis AI systems\u003C\u002Fa>, however, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. And \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fthehackernews.com\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fhacking-artificial-intelligence.html\">in July, 2016 DARPA announced\u003C\u002Fa> a competition to design AI systems to find and fix security bugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>What can we do?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli style=\"text-align: justify;\">Set up \u003Cstrong>clear guidelines\u003C\u002Fstrong> about how to develop technologies and how to supervise the process. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fopenai.com\u002Fabout\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open AI\u003C\u002Fa> is a good example.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Appoint \u003Cstrong>knowledgeable decision makers\u003C\u002Fstrong> who know more about technological trends and their cultural impact than anyone else. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fpolicy-makers-can-boost-digital-health-and-through-that-reform-healthcare-systems\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">See examples from outside healthcare\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Educate the public\u003C\u002Fstrong> about the potential dangers and also the amazing advantages caused by disruptive technologies. See the \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Ffutureoflife.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Future of Life Institute\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Push companies working out the innovations towards \u003Cstrong>quality and safety\u003C\u002Fstrong>. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F101-commandments-for-companies-developing-wearable-health-trackers\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This is how it could be done\u003C\u002Fa> with wearable sensors.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Prepare for worst case scenarios\u003C\u002Fstrong> by developing the antidotes and antiserums for biological hazards.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Work on responses\u003C\u002Fstrong> for bioterrorist attacks in connection with technology and inter-connectedness.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although the path seems to be long and rough, if we can make the right precautions, disruptive technologies will help us create a world where bioterrorism has no place or it is extremely hard to go against human values.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":202,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>THIS ARTICLE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2016. THE INFORMATION SHARED IN THE ARTICLE WAS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF ITS PUBLICATION, BUT IT MAY […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",14096,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[206],511,[208,209,33,210,211,212,213,214,215,216,217],561,144,313,377,453,517,558,559,560,130,[],[],[221,222,49,223,224,225,226,227],1583,1715,2017,3347,3435,4295,4505,[229,14,62,63,64,65,66,230,231,232,68,233,234,235,236,237,238,239,240],"post-14049","category-bioethics","tag-digestables","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-medicine","tag-robotics-2","tag-wearables-2","tag-gc1","tag-bioterrorism","tag-bioterror","tag-biological","tag-3d-printing-2",{"id":203,"alt_text":242,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":81,"media_details":243,"post":131,"source_url":270},"bioterrorism",{"width":83,"height":244,"file":245,"sizes":246,"image_meta":268},452,"2016\u002F09\u002F518592637.jpg",{"medium":247,"large":251,"thumbnail":255,"medium_large":258,"large_old_512x266":259,"medium_old_458x238":263},{"file":248,"width":89,"height":90,"mime-type":249,"source_url":250},"518592637-370x208.jpg","image\u002Fjpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F518592637-370x208.jpg",{"file":252,"width":95,"height":253,"mime-type":249,"source_url":254},"518592637-768x399.jpg",399,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F518592637-768x399.jpg",{"file":256,"width":100,"height":100,"mime-type":249,"source_url":257},"518592637-150x150.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F518592637-150x150.jpg",{"file":252,"width":95,"height":253,"mime-type":249,"source_url":254},{"file":260,"width":105,"height":261,"mime-type":249,"source_url":262},"518592637-512x266.jpg",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F518592637-512x266.jpg",{"file":264,"width":265,"height":266,"mime-type":249,"source_url":267},"518592637-458x238.jpg",458,238,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F518592637-458x238.jpg",{"aperture":120,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":120,"copyright":27,"focal_length":120,"iso":120,"shutter_speed":120,"title":27,"orientation":120,"keywords":269},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F518592637.jpg",{"cta_type":27,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":20,"related_posts_footer":20,"related_posts":20},{"yoast_wpseo_title":273,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":274,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":196},"Disruptive Technologies Push Bioterrorism To A Whole New Level - The Medical Futurist","Disruptive technologies not only help true visionaries who want to make the world a better place but also the bad guys ready for bioterrorism. Here is how.",{"self":276,"collection":281,"about":283,"author":285,"replies":287,"version-history":290,"predecessor-version":294,"wp:featuredmedia":298,"wp:attachment":301,"wp:term":304,"curies":315},[277],{"href":278,"targetHints":279},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F14049",{"allow":280},[140],[282],{"href":143},[284],{"href":146},[286],{"embeddable":26,"href":149},[288],{"embeddable":26,"href":289},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=14049",[291],{"count":292,"href":293},8,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F14049\u002Frevisions",[295],{"id":296,"href":297},37279,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F14049\u002Frevisions\u002F37279",[299],{"embeddable":26,"href":300},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F14096",[302],{"href":303},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=14049",[305,307,309,311,313],{"taxonomy":169,"embeddable":26,"href":306},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=14049",{"taxonomy":172,"embeddable":26,"href":308},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=14049",{"taxonomy":175,"embeddable":26,"href":310},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=14049",{"taxonomy":178,"embeddable":26,"href":312},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=14049",{"taxonomy":181,"embeddable":26,"href":314},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=14049",[316],{"name":185,"href":186,"templated":26},[],1788949268075]