The Patient Will See You Now summary

In the modern medical world, patients have grown accustomed to following their doctor’s orders. But this will change in the future.

Doctors have long been considered all-powerful authorities of medicine. In fact, even Hippocrates, the Ancient Greek philosopher, said that physicians should conceal information from patients for their own good.

As smartphones give people more power, the medical world will change, too.

We’ll make fewer trips to the doctor, for one. Virtual health-care services like Doctor on Demand, MD Live and Teladoc already allow patients to consult a physician without having to go anywhere. A standard Teladoc appointment is roughly the same price as an in-person visit, but Teladoc service is open 24/7 and there’s no waiting time. That’s much more convenient than waiting an hour to see a doctor for only ten minutes.

We now have unprecedentedly powerful tools for collecting and storing data. This is another technological change that will soon have a huge impact on the medical world.

We’re currently moving toward developing a kind of Google Maps for humans: a Graphic Information System, or GIS, that superimposes multiple layers of information onto a single map.

What will we do with all the new information the human GIS will provide?

The human GIS will enable us to use a lot of new treatment methods. The physiological layer will help us keep track of symptoms, such as monitoring an asthmatic child’s airways with biosensors. That would allow the child’s parents to predict when her next asthma attack might hit so they can make sure her inhaler is on hand.

Do you know anyone with diabetes? You probably do, because it’s one of the most common chronic illnesses. Roughly 29 million Americans have it.

Chronic illnesses are difficult to treat because they often can’t be cured. Treatment focuses on managing their symptoms, so patients may suffer from symptoms their entire lives.

Big Data has enormous power to revolutionize the medical world. Unfortunately, that power could also be used for evil.

Medical identity theft is already a problem in today’s world. People can steal your medical identity and use it to obtain treatments like prescription drugs. They can also use your insurance information to pay for their own medical treatment, or treatment for other people.