The Once and Future of Medicine

Abstract

The development of new therapies in medicine has a very rich history, and evolves quickly with society changes along some trends, and will definitely have an exciting future. In the last century, there has been an exponential increase in complex interactions between medical practitioners, pharmaceutical companies, governments and patients. It is believed that technology and societal expectations will open up a world of opportunity for more individuals to participate as information becomes freely available and inequality less acceptable. Corporations must recognize that usual market forces do not function ideally in a setting where health is regarded as a human right, and as modern consumers, patients will increasingly take control of their own data, wellbeing, and even the means of production for developing their own treatments. Ethics and legislation will increasingly impact the processes that facilitate drug development, distribution and administration. As Artificial Intelligence becomes more wide spread in healthcare sector, and also take the place of current digital clinical decision support systems, the role of the doctor as the primary diagnostician will slowly be taken over by more and smarter machines. The journey has already began with the creation of advance laboratory and radiology systems that are being used, and will extend to the bedside, and then to primary care system. AI will also be able to formulate the best practice treatment plans available, customize this for the individuals. Proceduralists may still be needed, and supported by robotics, however, even simple surgical interventions may, at some point, be replaced by advanced robots.