Healthcare will always be important to employees and the government since the issues surrounding healthcare are inherently ethical and moral issues. Healthcare is an exciting field because it is constantly growing through advancements in science and technology. This article describes three exciting advancements in healthcare tech and how they will change the face of healthcare for the future.
CRISPR-Cas9
We have all probably heard of the human genome. But, what is the human genome? The human genome is a complete set of genes that make up the blueprints for the infrastructure and work that is completed in the body. If we could modify those blueprints in a clever way, then we could have a powerful tool that would allow us to choose the genetics of our offspring by adding and removing sections of DNA. The implications are still being assessed as scientists become more clever with the tool. Currently, CRISPR-Cas9 is being used to study eradication of cancer, HIV, high cholesterol, and hepatitis B. However, there is great debate over the ethical and moral issues of using CRISPR-Cas9 on humans. Only one human trial has been completed in China. Many believe that CRISPR-Cas9 will spark a competition between the United States and China to see who will be the first to use this genetic engineering tool to do the most good for the human race. While some may roll their eyes, this competition is healthy and has been coined Sputnik 2.0.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is a subfield of artificial intelligence in which computers use algorithms to autonomously train themselves to learn from data. Applications include IBM’s Deep Blue chess playing computer in 1997, predicting stock market behavior , and even chemical simulation. However, the implications for healthcare include fewer diagnostic mistakes, pattern recognition in patients, prioritizing diagnoses, better characterization of diseases and syndromes, and decreasing patient expense.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is any software that is able to map computer generated images onto images of reality. Augmented reality gained lots of attention in early July of 2016 with the release of Pokemon Go. Currently, augmented reality serves entertainment purposes, but is envisioned to progress the methods in which trade information (medical doctor, surgeon, welding) is facilitated. Trade students can experience how a common, real life scenario in their field will look and feel. As augmented reality continues to be enhanced, the senses that have not been tapped into are being added and the senses that have been explored are being improved.
Medical Imaging
Medical imaging is important in many aspects of medicine including radiology and general diagnosis. For example, images are taken if a patient needs an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CAT (computed axial tomography) scan, or X-ray. Radiology PACS, along with enterprise imaging is technology that serves to easily store, manage, and retrieve medical images in radiology. It also serves to establish a secure network of patient information that can be easily exchanged and modified. Healthcare implications can be seen through more efficient information sharing and less time spent organizing and storing data.
Next Steps in Healthcare
The time that we are living in is an exciting time for healthcare. We will see healthcare make leaps and bounds through science and technology. Those leaps and bounds include changing the face of genetic engineering, the way in which computers are utilized to solve problems, advancements in medical imaging, storage, management, and retrieval, and reforming the facilitation of information in education. The efficient progression of these advancements could look like less disease and death in the world through cancer and HIV, quicker diagnosis and treatment of patients, and more efficient and less costly education for trade students.