Enormous technological changes in medicine and healthcare are heading our way. These trends have a variety of stakeholders: patients, medical professionals, researchers, medical students, and consumers. They are important because of the impact they will likely have on all of us at one time or another. To get an overview of the trends in healthcare technology, we turned to Dr. Bertalan Mesk, medical futurist and author of The Guide to the Future of Medicine: Technology and the Human Touch. In it, he identifies several areas that he believes will shape the futureof medicine and healthcare for decades to come.

Mesks predictions easily fall into two categories. The first group of trends, descried below, involve concepts already underway today, or those that will likely have an impact on us in the near future. (Part 2 of this article discusses a second group of tech trends that are still several years away or in much earlier stages of development).

The future of medicine will involve complex interactions between man and machine. (Image credit: B. Mesk)

Gamifying health Games are ubiquitous on our computers and phones, and increasing numbers of them are designed to have a positive impact beyond simply killing time. Combining fun and games into healthcare apps can motivate the patient and collect data needed to make informed decisions on daily activities that contribute to ones health. An estimated 50% of patients with chronic diseases do not follow the prescribed treatment, says Mesk. Gamified health tracking creates an environment that keeps the patient from straying from the appropriate therapy path.

Empowered patients Patients will become equal partners with their caregivers. Healthcare is moving beyond the hospital, and shifting towards patient self-knowledge and empowerment. The Internet has led to many people (for better or worse) researching their symptoms and diagnosing and treating themselves. While that extreme should be avoided whenever traditional healthcare providers are available, theres no way to put the genie back in the bottle in terms of patients educating themselves. Rather, healthcare professionals should embrace the change and guide patients in participating in their own care. New technologies will finally help medical professionals focus more on the patient as a human being instead of spending time hunting down pertinent information. They will be able to do what they do best provide care with expertise. In turn, patients will get the chance to be equal partners in their healthcare. As Mesk puts it, Healthcare cannot really advance without physicians letting their patients help themselves.

Telemedicine and remote care Home healthcare services and innovative technology will allow for doctor-patient connectivity where it had not been previously possible, saving both lives and money. Patient monitoring before, during, and after a procedure can now include autonomous robots, such as iRobots RP-VITA.

Rethinking the medical curriculum Medical schools will prepare future physicians for a world full of e-patients and dazzling technology. It takes many years to go from studying to practicing medicine. During that time, what students are learning is constantly changing in the real world. The old-fashioned textbook is a static learning piece in a dynamic professional field with integrated, innovative technology. Digital classrooms will create new connections between students and healthcare professionals and allow for access to the most current information and resources.

Surgical and humanoid robots Robotic-assisted surgery enhances the skill of the surgeon and allows for less invasive procedures. Advanced robots will be able to perform an operation from continents away, with precision beyond what a surgeons hand can do. Robots may never fully take over a surgical room due to their weak versatility and adaptability compared to humans, but they will become much more integrated into surgical teams.

Genomics and truly personalized medicine DNA analysis will become a standard step when prescribing medicine or treatment, to ensure it is personalized and optimized for that particular patients metabolic background. This kind of specificity, according to Mesk, will make it possible to define disease in terms similar to GPS coordinates.

Body sensors Technology is allowing us to measure critical health parameters in convenient and inexpensive ways. Tiny, wearable, sensors collect data without inferring with our daily lives in order to make better, more informed quantifiable decisions. Electronic clothing paired with sensors is one outlet used to collect such data.

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Tech Trends Shaping The Future Of Medicine, Part 1