Technology and Eternal Youth

Healthcare costs in America are ridiculous. They comprise 15% of our annual GDP, which is the second highest in the UN, behind some country I've never heard of. This equates to $7,500 per person, more than twice as much as almost every other other industrialized nation. In light of this, the World Health Organization ranked the US health system as number 38 (although there is some controversy over the criteria for these rankings). It's obvious that health care costs must be driven down. The question, then, is how to go about this. Given the recent explosion of the biomedical technology field (and the fact that I'm a BE major), I think that medical technology will be leading the way in driving down these costs. Because of this (and the nature of the assignment), I'm proposing ten ways in which medical technology can help to drive down the costs of healthcare in America.


1. Chips to measure medicine intake
Researchers have developed chips that, when implanted into patients along with a monitoring device, can measure and report (via a wireless network) the amount of medication in a patient's bloodstream. This would let doctors know if a patient forgets to take his or her medication can also alert the patient. Misuse of medication leads to an increase in hospitalization and a decrease in the efficacy of medication (obviously).

2. Implants preloaded with 100+ medicinal doses
Small containers can be implanted onto a major artery preloaded with enough doses of medicine to last an extended period of time. This can be particularly helpful in ensuring patients taking medication on a long-term basis receive each dose in a timely manner, and lets the patient worry about one fewer daily task.

3. Electronic medical records
By eliminating paper medical records, the medical industry can stop spending money on paper and ink. Also, if records were online, this would increase communication between hospitals and, in turn, increase productivity and cut costs.

4. Blood substitutes
Alternative, oxygen-transporting substances have been developed to replace blood transfusions. These will cut costs because they are cheaper than the compensation that many people receive for their blood and plasma (sans donations). They also have a longer shelf life, making them more applicable to rural locations and emergency response vehicles.

5. Electronic cigarettes
Sure, they may not be risk free, but electronic cigarettes are undoubtedly preferable to actual cigarettes. They deliver almost-pure nicotine without combustion or flame. And while there are some adverse effects (some cite nicotine, some don't; some cite a risk of nicotine overdose, some don't), they lack the tar and other harmful substances present in cigarettes. Fewer of these substances means better overall health, which results in fewer hospitalizations and reduced costs.

6. Chantix, prescription drug that helps smokers quit
A new drug has been developed that increases the success rate of smokers trying to quit. In a recent clinical trial, 44 % of smokers successfully quit, compared to 18% taking placebos. Look above for info on how fewer smokers means lower healthcare costs.

7. More minimally invasive surgeries
Surgeries that do less damage to surrounding tissues, bones, etc. reduce recovery time and, in turn, costs. And while these are revolutionary, they are being applied to more areas of the body more often. For example, doctors can now perform some heart surgeries by entering through an artery in the thigh. This surgery previously required gently lifting the ribcage out of the way (by cutting the ribcage open, but that's not important).

8. Anti-bacterial nano coating
Researchers have developed an invisible and incredibly thin coating that can be applied to virtually every surface in a hospital (fabrics included). Through a chemical process involving a photosynthesis reaction, the nano coating kills 99.99% of present bacteria. Fewer infections = less hospitalization time = lower healthcare costs.

9. Streamlining current technology
No technology is an end; technology is inherently a means. All forms of current medical technology can be made more efficient, more cheaply, and more effective. In addition to looking for new paths, bioengineers should not neglect to tidy up the ones they've walked down.

10. Discovering the fountain of youth
Medicine and technology and all that are great, but the preclusion of illness is most preferable. As such, technology should be developed to help locate the fountain of youth. The advent of global positioning systems can reinvigorate this age old source with much some needed vigor. Once inevitably discovered, its waters can be distributed to America (and, I suppose, other countries too). No hospitalization = no healthcare costs. QED

Many of these technologies are in development and, while they show much promise, one must remember that this is all they show. None of these are guaranteed to deliver on their claims, and don't provide sufficient evidence (for the most part) to indicate otherwise.

Except the last one.