The mission of The Medical Futurist Institute is to initiate public discussions about how the old paradigm of the paternalistic model of medicine is transforming into an equal level partnership between patients and professionals and how it is aided and augmented by disruptive technologies. By providing reports, publications and daily commentary on new technological innovations, the Institute aims at preparing every stakeholder of healthcare for adopting digital health in a way that the human component remains decisive.
Under the term “digital health”, advanced medical technologies, disruptive innovations and digital communication have gradually become inseparable from providing the best practice healthcare. While the cost of treating chronic conditions is increasing and doctor shortages are imminent worldwide, the needed transformation in the structure of healthcare and medicine fails to catch up with the rapid progress of the medical technology industry.
This transition is slowed down by strict regulations; the reluctance of stakeholders in healthcare to change; and ignoring the importance of cultural changes and the human factor in an increasingly technological world. With access and adoption of technology getting higher, the risk of patients primarily turning to an accessible, but unregulated technological solution for their health problem is likely to increase. We need to acknowledge the ongoing cultural transformation and include digital health in the practice of medicine.