What is the future of healthcare and when will it arrive? To explore these and similar questions I visited with Dr. Ben Locwin and Scott Endicott in a five-episode podcast series. Over this series we will explore why the future of healthcare is now; gene and cell therapy, the use and misuse of statistics, Hippocrates and modern healthcare and where healthcare will be headed down the road. In this Part 4, we look at some current trends in health care including QALYs, CRACO, and more.

This episode of the podcast explored the emerging health care trends that will impact patients and family caregivers, such as Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), which is a metric used to measure the quality of life; and Clinical Research as a Care Option (CRACO), which is an emergent option for cancer treatment, combining traditional standard of care drugs with cutting-edge therapies. Tom, Ben, and Scott discussed the potential benefits and risks of virtual healthcare, including the ability to access care remotely and the potential for nefarious actors to access sensitive information. They also discussed the importance of advanced directives and the need to consider quality of life versus end of life when making decisions.

They also discussed the potential benefits and risks of virtual healthcare, including the ability to access care remotely and the potential for nefarious actors to access sensitive information. They also discussed the importance of advanced directives and the need to consider quality of life versus end of life when making decisions.

Having an appropriate document in place and giving the decision-making power you want to make that designation is important. Quality of life versus end of life is an important consideration when making decisions. Immunotherapies can extend life, but it is important to consider the quality of life that the individual is seeking. Prostate cancer is a condition that affects many males as they age, and advanced directives are a crucial piece to the end-of-life equation, as they help bring a thread of logic to the sequence of events.

Personalized medicine and healthcare have changed drastically in the last five to seven years. Telemedicine and decentralization of healthcare have made tremendous advancements, particularly in rural areas where access to healthcare is often limited. Telemedicine eliminates the need to physically go to a clinic, reducing the risk of exposure to infectious diseases. However, there is a risk of overprescribing medications due to the ease of telemedicine visits, and there is ambiguity in the data regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine. There is also a risk of data breaches due to the use of telemedicine, which could include personal information and medical histories. Technology is advancing, which could help to overcome some of the barriers of telemedicine.

Making end of life decisions is a difficult process, but it is important to consider the quality of life versus end of life when making decisions. Quality Adjusted Life Years and Clinical Research as a Care Option are emerging health care trends that can help to make these decisions easier. With the advancements in telemedicine, more people have access to healthcare, and it is possible to get a better understanding of the quality of life that an individual is seeking.

Key Highlights

·      Digital Health Benefits and Risks

·      Clinical Research as Care

·      Telemedicine Benefits

·      End of Life Decisions

 Resources

Dr. Ben Locwin on LinkedIn

Scott Endicott on LinkedIn

Tom Fox on LinkedIn