New technologies revolutionize the medical industry

The healthcare system is reactive, bureaucratic, and costly, but that is about to change as technologies that would seem like science fiction become a reality.

Never in the history of humanity have there been so many technological advancements at such a rapid pace as today. As Stephen Hawking said, "we are entering an era where we will integrate technology into our human nature, which will redefine our definition of what it means to be human in the coming years, as we will be able to extend our human capabilities." We are approaching an era where blind people will be able to see, individuals in wheelchairs will be able to walk again, and we will defeat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and many more.

Undoubtedly, the global healthcare system is experiencing a revolution due to significant technological advances. Currently, the healthcare system is reactive, bureaucratic, and costly. However, this is set to change with the help of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, big data, and 3D printing. According to Salim Ismael, Global Ambassador of Singularity University, we are only in the 1% of the digital era of what is expected by 2030, indicating that the most significant technological changes will occur in the coming years.

Artificial Intelligence: An example is IBM's Watson computer, which defeated the world champion of Jeopardy in 2011, and since then, IBM has put this supercomputer to work in the medical industry. Watson can analyze around 27,000 documents per day and draw conclusions rapidly, thus helping to revolutionize medical research and accelerate the diagnostic process. In the digital era, we will find different business models in healthcare. An example of this is the competition launched in 2012 by Qualcomm and the Xprize Foundation, where they offer 10 million dollars to the group that, through a smartphone, can diagnose 16 diseases better than a group of doctors and provide real-time information on 5 vital signs. It is expected that this competition will be won in 2016, and in the following years, it will become widespread. This will allow us to have a doctor and a laboratory in our pocket, as we can know within minutes if we have any disease with just a drop of blood or urine. These different business models, where technology and medicine are increasingly intertwined, are leading technology companies such as Apple, Google, Samsung, IBM, Qualcomm, etc., to show increasing interest in the medical industry, valued at 3.8 trillion dollars.

Biotechnology: Another example of how it is revolutionizing medicine is biotechnology. Yes, humans are also made up of software, which we call DNA, and we are getting better at reading that code and writing on it. In 2001, deciphering a genome cost 100 million dollars, by 2014 decoding the complete DNA of a person cost around 1,000 dollars. However, it is expected that by 2020, it will cost around 1 cent. This will undoubtedly revolutionize medicine, making it increasingly personalized and preventive.

Big Data: Furthermore, we are entering a stage where patients have access to more information every day and become partners with doctors. Nowadays, a person in their car can know key indicators, such as how much gasoline they have, the car's temperature, speed, revolutions per minute, etc., without having to go to a mechanic. However, humans need to see a doctor or go to a laboratory to know key indicators of our bodies. But with the rise of sensors or wearables, such as smartwatches and bracelets that monitor our health status, this is changing, as we will be able to obtain a lot of information about our bodies in real-time.

3D Printing: 3D printers can now print in more than 300 materials; they can even print with human cells. This revolutionary technology will transform the medical industry by making organ transplantation and prosthesis creation much more accessible. Although it may seem far-fetched, kidneys, veins, and prostheses connected to the human brain have been successfully printed. This technology is still somewhat expensive and inefficient, but it is evolving enormously. In the next 5 to 10 years, it will be a common practice in various areas of medicine.

A few days ago, I was talking to César Pedroza, commercial director of DICIPA (one of the visionaries in our country about the medical revolution), and he told me how the medical industry in Mexico is undergoing many changes. "Undoubtedly, every day we will see how public health collaborates more and differently with private companies to have lower costs and much greater efficiency, and thus be able to serve the population. In addition, medicine will become increasingly preventive and democratic. With the great power of computers and the vast information being generated, correlations can be made about what main illnesses a population will have depending on their consumption habits. I am sure that we will be able to win the battle against the main diseases affecting Mexicans, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and breast cancer. However, we have to propose different solutions than those of today. It is very likely that life expectancy will increase considerably in the coming years and that the quality of life will be good."

Undoubtedly, it is exciting and very interesting to live in this era where several technologies that would seem like science fiction are becoming reality, which will allow us to win the battle against many diseases that currently affect us greatly, and to have longer and better quality lives. The medical industry is undoubtedly experiencing a stage of disruption and transformation that we could certainly call a medical revolution.