Healthcare is evolving quickly, with significant changes occurring over the past several decades. For example, the Human Genome Project is perhaps one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the last 20 years. Gene-sequencing research has not only become a huge revolution within the healthcare industry (as well as many other industries), but it will be one of the largest drivers of innovation in healthcare in the years to come.
Additionally, one of the ways healthcare has changed and continues to change is the adaptation to the fact that the biggest health challenge in the industrialized world is inactivity. As more and more industries go digital, we face the fact that more and more people spend the day sitting in front of a computer. The healthcare industry is evolving to meet that challenge head-on.
Another area of medicine where treatment had advanced considerably in recent years is the fight against substance abuse. In this case, the push for breakthroughs was driven by an addiction epidemic, particularly to opioids, which has exploded over the last decade and a half. In cities and towns across the world, the approach has shifted from trying to get addicts to conform to a standard treatment program to one in which treatment is customized to the individual. For example, leading recovery centers providing outpatient in Seattle also provide inpatient, with crossover cases being quite common. Their patients, as well as those of similar facilities in other cities, are receiving care which was practically unheard of a generation or so ago.
However, one of the most major things that hasn’t changed in healthcare is the fact that younger people simply don’t want to go to the doctor or receive treatment. Those in the prime of their lives often see themselves as invincible and impervious to disease. Furthermore, going to the doctor takes time and a disproportionate number of younger adults are in the midst of a rat race compared to other age groups, thereby reducing the amount of time they are willing to devote per year to being seen by a medical professional.
Many insurance companies are getting hip to the times and catering to the younger generations that simply don’t have two hours to visit the doctor (with one of those spent waiting), and thus, avoid the doctor altogether. Many insurance companies offer a basic video chat with doctors who wish to earn extra income. The idea is extremely simple: you download an app onto your phone and schedule an appointment when you need basic care from a physician.
The digitization of healthcare is one of the largest medical breakthroughs of the last 20 years. While many illnesses or injuries will still require a physical appointment, the doctors on the app can provide basic care such as antibiotic prescriptions. It’s a wonderful solution that allows you to take an appointment with a doctor on your lunch break from the convenience of a conference room or your car, allowing you to not have to miss work to get the basic healthcare that you need.
As we move deeper into the 21st century, there seems to be much promise about the medical breakthroughs which lie ahead. While many of the major threats to human health of the 20th century continue to haunt us – heart disease, infectious disease, cancer, etc. – the process of developing solutions to these problems appears to move faster and faster every day. It’s only a matter of time before there is a whole new set of advances in healthcare worth talking about. See you in 20 years!