A Deep Dive into Technology, Genome & Healthcare with Juan Enriquez

Introduction:  

Vaccines from life sciences are the fundamental reason we have survived the recent pandemic. However, in the same breath, the manner of pricing these vaccines has made them inaccessible to a large part of the world. Healthcare, comprising 1/5th of its total, is essential to the U.S. economy. In terms of accessibility, affordability, and outcomes, though, there is a long way to go. Technological advancements need to consider these factors for overall improvements in healthcare.  

What’s Missing:  

If the spending on U.S. healthcare per dollar is compared to per lifespan outcome, it becomes clear that there is a lot of scope for improvement. The dynamics are slightly skewed towards rare diseases and specialized treatments, but treatment for generalized care is still highly inaccessible and unaffordable. Technological advancements should be geared toward the scientific aspect of healthcare, such as theoretical physics, to offer predictive analysis, which can go a long way towards increasing accessibility and affordability. This means that electroceutical treatments replace chemical treatments. Decentralized approaches toward healthcare treatments, including robust interfaces, can be adopted as the focus of the future.   

What’s Happened:  

Even though healthcare innovation seems soaring, there is no price pressure to balance it out. Consider the example of the COVID vaccine. The time spent developing a sequence and designing the vaccine was just a few hours. All the rest of the wait involved manufacturing details, regulatory hurdles, etc. This was when the disease threatened several lives. The primary effect of delays in action is rarely factored into the equation by regulatory agencies. This lapse is seen in genomics and pharma in terms of incentives. Between a life-saving antibiotic and a cancer medication that can only prolong life but not treat the disease, incentive preference is given to the latter. The societal value of the former is higher, and preference needs to be given to preventive care to be able to increase the overall quality of life and healthcare in the U.S. If the focus remains on expensive drugs for small pockets of patients, the country will continue to experience the same healthcare hurdles on the whole.   

The other hurdle of regulatory delays is playing a reverse factor towards innovation in medical technology. In drug approvals, several aspects need to be approached with a practical perspective that can intelligently measure and compare the advantages and disadvantages of approving a particular drug. Compared with other OCED countries, the trends in the U.S. healthcare system are more prone to delays. From COVID vaccines to plastic surgeries and fertility treatments, a lot of American citizens choose to get it done from other countries while paying out of their pockets, even though they might have the insurance for it in the U.S. This is a highly unfortunate phenomenon that the healthcare industry cannot ignore, mainly owed to inaccessibility and price disparity.   

A zero-based budgeting system can be a significant stride in the right direction. In the current scenario, the U.S. healthcare budgeting system is working backward. One is where there are low disability life years, and the costs are very high. For example, essential vaccines have high disability life years, with minimal cost and maximum outcomes. However, treating a smoker for a second lung transplant has very low disability life years, a very high cost, and low outcomes. In the U.S. healthcare budgeting system, preference is given to the latter. Funding needs to shift towards treatments that provide the longest high quality of life as a priority, and if there are funds left over, the latter can be considered.   

What Lies in the Future:  

The future of genomics offers promising results toward addressing fairly rampant healthcare challenges. With the innovation in genomics and stem cells towards the reproduction of tissues, it is only a matter of time before we can reproduce complex organs. We have already had some success with organs like the bladder, tracheas, and skin. Success with genomics can eventually increase the life span from the established 120 to 130 years.   

Preventive healthcare, through genomics, is rapidly turning into the new normal of the healthcare industry. Agile technological adoptions of preventive care monitoring have created a plethora of opportunities for remote caregiving and speedier service. A cheaper and faster diagnosis is the most significant advantage of preventative care, but several others exist. These technologies have significantly improved the quality and approach toward healthcare services. The market for remote care management is fast evolving with dynamic options for the convenience of caregivers and patients alike. Healthcare organizations should consider prioritizing preventive care towards growth and a better bottom line.   

The current care delivery system is experiencing a gross shortage of physicians and primary care providers. The only way to address this challenge is through a connected health system. Healthcare organizations must consider new ways of providing accessible and affordable care by adopting agile technologies. According to various official studies, the rate of chronically ill patients is targeted to increase at a substantial level in the years in the future. At the same time, the number of physicians and nurses pale compared to the need of the hour. Technological disruptions remain the only solution to address this need, and a connected healthcare model is just that.   

Conclusion  

As awareness increases, healthcare organizations should lean towards genomics and preventive care that is empowered to offer practical security and regulation compliance. Technology can play a significant role in mitigating the risks and hesitancies involved in using these technologies. To sum it up, healthcare organizations must scale up to stay ahead of the curve and address the contemporary demands of our age. Explore more exciting topics and listen to insightful podcasts related to healthcare only on CareTalk. 

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