Tag: Dr. Ben Locwin

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Greetings and Felicitations

Greetings and Felicitations: The Future of Healthcare…Is Now: Part 5 – Down the Road

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 have explored 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 concluding Part 5, we look down the road at the future of healthcare.

The rapid advancement of technology has changed the way we live and work, and it’s also changing the way we receive healthcare. From smaller and smaller silicon wafer chips to quantum computers and micro dosing insulin pumps, technology is becoming more and more prevalent in healthcare.

At the same time, however, this technology poses several potential risks and ethical implications. Data privacy is a major concern, as there have been cases of lost or de-anonymized patient data from electronic health records getting out into the public sphere. AI and machine learning are also being used to collect and predict data, which could lead to further data privacy issues.

Ben and Scott recently discussed the potential risks and benefits of technology and the need for appropriate regulation and oversight to control the future of medical decision making. They also discussed the importance of patient advocacy and self-advocacy, as well as understanding and controlling how data is used.

Taking a counterfactual approach to contemplate the future of healthcare, it’s clear that technology advancements are here to stay. Software as a medical device is an open access point for hackers to get into highly critical medical devices. According to an IBM report, 550 organizations had a data breach between 2022 and 2023, and healthcare organizations had the highest average cost of data breaches at $11 million, up 8% from last year and 50% from a couple of years ago. With malware and ransomware looking to steal data due to the potential financial gain, the loss and risk to patient data from electronic medical and health records is a major concern.

Moore’s Law applies to both good and negative aspects of technology growth. Within 10-20 years, medications will be administered trans-dermally instead of through a bottle, and micronization of diagnostic capabilities will be available. Healthcare services, decisions, and other roles will be available through Amazon-like delivery. AI and ML are becoming more of a buzzword challenge, with many references being made to them in conversations. AI is currently being applied to chat and other spaces but is still five years away from being able to be transformational in medical applications. Genomics data is now accessible for criminal investigations, creating a downside risk. Technology is shrinking and getting faster, with microprocessors being built on five nanometer dies. Computers are beginning to take over for human decision making, with the widespread use of AI being seen in the future.

To ensure that these advancements are used responsibly, appropriate regulation and oversight is key. Ben believes that the human race has a tenacity to revert back if things become too extreme. Scott believes that patient advocacy and self-advocacy will be key to the change that needs to happen. Understanding and controlling how data is used is essential, as well as having more ethicists involved in the industry.

We hope that this blog post has provided you with some practical advice and data-driven insights to help you navigate the world of healthcare technology.

Key Highlights

·      Medical Technology Risks

·      AI in Healthcare

·      Moore’s Law and Medicine

·      Data Privacy and Telemedicine

Resources

Dr. Ben Locwin on LinkedIn

Scott Endicott on LinkedIn

Tom Fox on LinkedIn

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Greetings and Felicitations

Greetings and Felicitations: The Future of Healthcare…Is Now: Part 4 – Exploring Healthcare Trends: QALYs, CRACO and Hippocrates

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

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Greetings and Felicitations

Greetings and Felicitations: The Future of Healthcare…Is Now: Part 3 – The Specifics of Managing Obesity

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 3, we turn to the specifics of managing obesity.

This episode of the podcast discussed the importance of personal behavioral health in managing obesity, which is a crisis in the US. Starting with the FDA’s Rumor Control Initiative to combat misinformation, Tom Fox, Scott Endicott and Ben Locwin discussed the need for critical thinking when evaluating pharmaceutical products, the importance of involving a healthcare provider in the discussion, and the use of telemedicine to manage obesity remotely. They also suggested that digital fitbits can be used to monitor activity and that physicians can use this data to make recommendations.

The FDA has recently released the Rumor Control Initiative to combat misinformation. This initiative encourages people to check the source of the information and cross-check it with reliable sources, and to look beyond the headlines to get full context. Drug companies are required to list potential adverse effects of treatments, so it’s important to consider the benefits and risks of treatments together. It’s also important to note that people spread misinformation for various reasons, such as wanting to protect those they care about or feeling connected.

Randomized clinical trials are required for all licensed and marketed pharmaceutical treatments. Hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and analysis of variance are used to evaluate the efficacy of a drug compared to a placebo. Tom suggested that a physician can track a patient’s activity with a digital fitbit and make recommendations during the patient’s 30 days of a month.

It is important to apply critical thinking and use common sense when evaluating pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical products are subject to advertising and branding, which can be difficult to evaluate. Pharmaceutical companies used to employ detailers to provide information to healthcare providers and try to get them to prescribe their product, but now they can buy television time to directly advertise to patients. There is a concern that patients may not have the knowledge to understand the biochemistry, biological impacts, and toxicology of the drugs they are taking, so it’s important to have a trusted healthcare advisor and provider to help interpret the data.

Key Highlights

·      Statistics in Healthcare

·      Managing Obesity Remotely

·      Obesity and Behavioral Health

·      Pharmaceutical Advertising

 Resources

Dr. Ben Locwin on LinkedIn

Scott Endicott on LinkedIn

Tom Fox on LinkedIn

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Greetings and Felicitations

Greetings and Felicitations: The Future of Healthcare…Is Now: Part 2- Revolutionizing Healthcare: Personalized Medicine

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 2, we consider personalized medicine.

The use of personalized medicine, such as cell therapies, gene therapies, and digital therapeutics, is revolutionizing the healthcare industry. In this Part 2 of a special five-part series, Tom Fox, Ben Locwin, and Scott discussed the changes to regulatory pathways and expanded access programs to speed up the approval process for drugs and treatments, as well as the long-term risks associated with taking certain drugs. They also provided advice on how to engage with them on the topics discussed, such as using LinkedIn and Google Search, and concluded the episode by inviting listeners to join them for their next episode. This podcast episode provides an insightful look into the future of personalized medicine and the potential risks and benefits associated with it.

Digital therapeutics, for example, have enabled the ability to measure and install a pump that replicates the functions of the pancreas in real time. Regulatory pathways for device and diagnostic approvals have been simplified and expectations and standards have been shifted. Expanded access programs have been created to allow access to treatments between the end of a clinical study and formal approval. These programs have been especially beneficial for rare disease patients and pediatric patients, as well as late stage oncology patients. Advocacy groups have successfully lobbied for access to treatments for MS and other rare diseases. Risk-benefit utility curves can be used to understand the implications of healthcare decisions.

Personalized medicine is defined as medical therapies that are designed specifically for each individual patient to whom they’ll be administered. An example of personalized medicine is personalized dosing of warfarin, which could prevent 17,000 strokes in the United States annually and avoid 43,000 emergency room visits. Cell therapies, such as Chimeric antigen Receptor T cell Therapy (Car T), are personalized using either a donor or the patient’s own blood. Gene therapies are also used in personalized medicine. Supply chain, as it is currently understood, may well no longer  exist in ten years from now and instead it will look a lot more like a disc that is going to be placed into a personalized sort of therapeutic pump that’s attached to your body. Insulin delivery has become extremely personal, used to be broad based, and required separate measurements of blood sugars and titrating a dose based on that. Dexcom has been providing personalized medicine for a number of years.

Personalized medicine is revolutionizing the healthcare industry, and it is important to understand the long-term risks associated with taking certain drugs. It is also important to understand the regulatory pathways and expanded access programs that have been created to speed up the approval process for these drugs and treatments. With the right resources and guidance, individuals can make informed decisions about their healthcare and take advantage of the many benefits that personalized medicine has to offer.

Key Highlights

·      Cell and gene therapy

·      Personalized medicine

·      Risk-benefit utility

Resources

Dr. Ben Locwin on LinkedIn

Scott Endicott on LinkedIn

Tom Fox on LinkedIn

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Greetings and Felicitations

Greetings and Felicitations: The Future of Healthcare…Is Now: Part 1- Unlocking Healthcare: Passion & Patience

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 1, we explore why the future of healthcare is now.

The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has largely been a remarkable success, and healthcare workers have shown incredible dedication and passion in the face of extraordinary circumstances. In Part 1, guests Ben Locwin and Scott Endicott explained the need for a stronger advocacy position for healthcare, the challenges of the healthcare industry, and the importance of passion and patience in the industry. They highlighted the need for shared decision making between clinicians and patients, and the opportunities for startups to get products to market faster.

Healthcare is an ever-changing landscape, and regulatory favorability is allowing for faster approval of products to market. New therapies are already emergent and available for use, and healthcare is becoming intensely personal. The goal of the podcast series is to provide options for patients and clinicians to advocate for better healthcare.

Healthcare can be a scary place, even with the opportunity for return to health. That’s why shared decision making is an important approach. This is where the clinician and patient share the best available evidence when faced with the task of making decisions. Patients are supported to consider their options and achieve their informed preferences, and it is the most ethically appropriate pathway.

Startups in the healthcare industry have a long and difficult regulatory approval process, taking 5-7 years at best. Investment, passion, belief, and engagement are essential for success in the healthcare industry. It can be daunting to take on such a challenge, but it is worth it to bring innovative solutions to the healthcare market.

To sum up, the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that passion and dedication are essential for success in the healthcare industry. Additionally, shared decision making is an important approach to ensure that the best available evidence is shared between clinicians and patients. Finally, startups in the healthcare industry require investment, passion, belief, and engagement to get products to market faster.

Key Highlights

·      Passion in Healthcare

·      Biotech Investment

·      COVID Healthcare Impact

·      Shared Decision Making

Resources

Dr. Ben Locwin on LinkedIn

Scott Endicott on LinkedIn

Tom Fox on LinkedIn

Categories
Greetings and Felicitations

Ben Locwin – Navigating Postmodernism

Welcome to the Greetings and Felicitations, a podcast where I explore topics which might not seem to be directly related to compliance but clearly influence our profession. Today we delve into the most controversial topics of the day with guest Ben Locwin. We speak about postmodernism – a philosophical movement that emerged in the late 1800s, challenging traditional views of universal truths and the idea of an objective reality. Ben believes that rejecting the thought process of our predecessors has become popular, with an emphasis on fashion and social media. He says it’s important to get facts from reliable sources, not just from viral content. Ben stressed the importance of primary education, advocating for the teaching of scientific methods to uphold the value of evidence-based opinion. Join us on Greetings and Felicitations as we explore the pressing topics of today with genuine and thoughtful conversations.

Key Highlights

The Postmodern rejection of the Enlightenment and its impact on Society [00:05:10]

Innovation and Disruption in Established Fields of Science [00:09:30]

The Impact of Popular Culture on Society [00:13:41]

The Perils of Social Media’s Echo Chambers: Recognizing the Need for Evidence-Based Truths [00:17:51]

The Dangers of Alternative Facts [00:22:10]

Role of Primary Education in Constructive Correction and Critical Thinking [00:26:48]

Notable Quotes

1.     “It’s really a broad topic. It is an interesting 1 to me because it’s  ultimately very philosophical, and I tend to try to stray away from that. On a daily basis.”

2.     “Postmodernism suggests that it’s fashionable to reject clear minded rational thinking. It basically distinguishes itself from other schools of thought by rejecting universal truths, by rejecting an objective reality.”

3.     “Another big 1 is reject any idea that through the use of reason and logic that human beings can change themselves in societies for the better.”

4.     “John Adams once observed, I’ll have to paraphrase it, but something like facts are stubborn things. And whatever may be our wishes or inclinations or the dictates of our passions. They can’t alter the state of facts and evidence.””

Resources

Ben Locwin on LinkedIn