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The Doctor of the Future...

...is being developed today. From Fast Company magazine,
  • The Myca platform, a Facebook-like platform uses technology, from IM to video chat, to restore the traditional doctor-patient relationship that has been lost in today's high-pressure, high-volume, eight-minute-appointment practice model.
  • The da Vinci Surgical System, surgical robots delivering improved outcomes for patients suffering from mitral valve disease.
  • SimulConsult, a diagnostic crowdsourcing application producing a richer, more valuable diagnostic tool.
  • The RP-7, a 5-foot tall "remote presence" diagnostic robot bringing sorely-needed specialist expertise to rural areas.

"Like the Myca Platform, the robots are just one example of an advanced technology that seems impersonal but actually enables doctors to be more hands-on; in a Twitter and Facebook world, screen-to-screen face time can build relationships with patients. And like SimulConsult and the robotic college's remote learning, they encourage professional connections that dramatically enhance care. Together, innovations like these are beginning to free U.S. medicine from the strictures that have given us the world's costliest health care, but not the best health care.

"Think what happens when you put these things together. You can see your doctor immediately without wasting time in a waiting room. A robust database helps your physician make more accurate diagnoses. Advances in robotics cut your recovery time after surgery -- and could even lead to operations assisted by remote experts. This is the vision of the medical system of tomorrow. And it's emerging today."

The Takeaway: The health care system of the future is being built by passionate experimenters who see problems as opportunities and the electronic world as their toolbox.


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