Medical science has advanced at an extraordinary rate in recent years. The digital revolution, with its aptitude for 3D rendering and robotic advancements, has certainly played a parallel role, ushering in waves of new possibilities for technology with medical applications. Along with those efforts, a number of factors have contributed to the ever-forward march of medical advancement.
Genetics
Before the advent of gene identification, the onset of certain diseases, especially cancers, were very unpredictable. The emergence of the medical genetic counselling field has changed the way we foresee and treat some disease processes, resulting in better outcomes. Susceptibility to breast cancer has been identified in more than five different chromosomes. Several other disease markers have been discovered as well, helping doctors use early intervention to prevent colon cancer, Alzheimer’s, coronary artery disease, and a host of other devastating maladies.
Genetic testing has also guided the pharmaceutical field in developing more accurate therapies for specific conditions. The “triple negative” breast cancer tissue test, for example, determines which of a number of hormone-based chemotherapy regimens are most likely to be successful, increasing the chances of survival. As more genetic markers are identified, we are certain to see a surge in ground-breaking medical developments.
Robotics
Since the invention of the DaVinci Surgical System in 2000, robotic-assisted surgery has completely elevated the surgical experience, both for surgeon and patient. RA devices digitally translate the surgeon’s hand movements into a more precise mechanical arm, greatly reducing many of the complications that make surgery risky. Because RA uses smaller incisions, more accurate movements, and a less invasive approach, the field of surgery has seen enormous developments in the type of procedures that can be performed. Robotic-assisted devices marry the extraordinary field of modern digital technology with the medical community, opening an entire world of unprecedented medical advancement for the future.
Lab science
The role of the clinical laboratory in the diagnostic arena has grown tremendously in the last decade. The expansion of the menu of available lab tests (including the genetic testing discussed earlier) as well as improved speed and accuracy, have made lab services an invaluable tool for the treatment of patients. Most testing is automated, and the modern lab has benefited from engineering advances that have created fast, accurate, digitally integrated diagnostic machines, aided by software programs that make results instantly accessible. Education in this field has also expanded and evolved so students can take a medical laboratory scientist programme online, in person, or a combination of both.
Many of the advancements have also centred on what is known as point-of-care testing, which uses a drop of blood from a finger to provide immediate results at a patient’s bedside, eliminating turnaround times for many critical tests.
As technology advances in the future (and if our smart phones are any indication, it certainly will), patients will continue to benefit from new and unprecedented improvements in medical care.
What examples do you have that medical care is advancing faster than ever? Let us know in the comments below.
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