Title : Technology & Health: A 21st century Gordian Knot
Abstract:
The Practice of Medicine Faces Two Disruptions Today:
1. Advances in biotechnology enable genes to be edited and immune cells to be harnessed to treat the untreatable and to bring advanced cancer and chronic disease into remission.
2. Digital and information technology usher in an age of precision, that leverages on genomic, molecular, clinical, environmental and lifestyle data to predict disease outcomes and guide treatment. All these take place on a background of ageing populations, rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases, and increasing patient expectations and demands.
While technology offers compelling propositions to the clinician, it has the potential to fuel a vortex of spiralling healthcare costs. In seeking sustainable solutions, we need to define what really works, ask hard questions as to what makes a real-world difference to the patient and whether it makes sense for the health system. We need to return to the fundamental principle of doing no harm if we can’t do good, and to avoid the temptation of embracing the latest innovations seeking new applications. Case studies will be drawn from Singapore’s approach to technology adoption in public healthcare institutions. The important role patients play in making decisions that impact their own health will also be discussed.
Audience Take Away:
- Overview of key technology developments that may impact the practice of medicine
- Appreciation of challenges to technology adoption and implementation in healthcare
- Sharing of Singapore’s approach to advanced therapeutics and medical innovation, using the examples of precision medicine, artificial intelligence, cell and gene therapy
