9. 3D PRINT REMEDIES
The conventional prescriptions in your future could be doled out by an ATM-like robot, remotely controlled by a provider or algorithm to ensure the right doses at the right times. Or your clinician could consult your genetics test to determine the most appropriate drugs for your specific gene profile.
A few months ago, Harvard and MIT scientists found a way to much more accurately forecast an individual’s risk score for five deadly diseases. They achieved this by looking at DNA changes at 6.6 million locations in the human genome and applying a sophisticated algorithm. But even genetic tests that analyze only parts of the genome—like the one I took—can provide valuable information about predisposition to dementia, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and other conditions. Yet again, advances in medical technology may hold benefits for me, and for Harriett. (Sorry, Ötzi.)
10. BETTER PROSTATE CANCER ANALYSIS
If you’re not meeting in person with your practitioner, could a robot serve as well as a human? Soon they may be answering information and triage calls. A chatbot nurse will try to learn what ails you by asking about your symptoms and tapping into data from your wearable devices and the crowdsourced health records of others like you. Should your complaint be psychological more than physical, you can seek counseling from a virtual therapist programmed to converse as a human would, offer self-help guidance, and lend a sympathetic ear.