Becker’s Hospital Review | Science Fiction Will Be Non Fiction for New Generation

By Joe Randolph | Adelaide, or Addie, will be born in August 2017. When she arrives, she will face a future much different than her grandfather did when he was born in the late 1950’s.

Addie will have an expected lifespan that is about 20-25 years longer than her grandfather because of advances in healthcare. A recent article in the Lancet medical journal shows that most babies born in industrialized nations today will live into the triple digits.

Breakthroughs in DNA and genomics will revolutionize care. There will also be advances in personalized medicine and diagnosis. Many diseases may be eradicated and the introduction of bio-printed tissue, organ regeneration, new technologies, artificial intelligence, big data, and personalized drugs will have astounding effects on health care and quality of life.

Addie will live in a transformational world of patient care, one that will be vibrant and constantly improving to ensure the best in personalized care, very much how the best hospitality and retail organizations work today.

Until her grandfather (or, Pops) explains it to her, she won’t know that generations before her did not have access to DNA, genomics, and massive databases of information that could help with curing patients, or planning health care based on genetic profiles. She won’t know what it was like to live a life before artificial and augmented reality. Many of the diseases of her grandfather’s generation will be eliminated including kidney, heart, liver and lung diseases. Many of the cancers of today will also be eliminated or minimized due to the ability to extend life with the new advances in care. Immunotherapy will fight cancer and precision medicine will use patient immune cells or mass-produced checkpoint inhibitors to free the immune system to kill cancer cells.  More…