The end of doctors as we know them...

15:17 mareku 0 Comments

iHealth bloodpressure (do not worry - I was just fine)

Visi Mobile sensoring

It is almost to much information - but Marijn and I just manage to soak it all up. And the ideas and concepts are bubbling all over. It is good to notice that mHealth is really at the beginning of its fully potential and that everybody is wildly enthusiast to work in this area. Also nice is that this really could make a difference in peoples' lives and will actually saves lives. Most of the start ups here have as a goal not just to make profit but to save X amount of lives - sweet!
Sensors all over the place and the iHealth company makes a couple of the best ones. The app interface is stunning and an example. A question that is addressed in a lot of talks is about patient generated health data and what to do with that. Most doctors now are not interested in that kind of data but one of the most common shared opinions here is that doctors will have to chance rapidly the way they think and act.
Will we have a society without doctors? Maybe! Analytics will be done by computers (better, faster, cheaper), Care will be done by nurses (better, humane, cheaper). So the workday of a doctor is a couple of years: in the morning 3 or 4 really intensive long lasting talks with patients about their decease and treatment - the afternoon scanning various Patient generated health data streams to pick out the ones that need more research.. No more 10 minutes patient visits - less hands on treatment.
The role of the nurse will become even more important - I am happy with that.
Attendees here expect that all to happen withing the next 5 years - too fast? Not if you look at other industries and remember that the cost of Health care is out of control and that Africa and Asia will leap frog us in this perspective...