The Future of Medicine

In the not so distant future, it is not hard to imagine that devices are able to scan our bodies without pricking our skin and taking blood samples and then use the internet to send the information to a virtual doctor who will then tell us vital information about our blood pressure, our sugar levels, our heartbeat rate and even the status of our organs. That device might also connect us wirelessly with our family physician and do an online consultation. No 1-hour drive and no traffic rush for fear of being late for an appointment with the doctor, just pure wireless and online interaction. Health and medicine would also be directed towards prevention than cure so diseases, ailments and illnesses and even accidents are dealt with preemptive medical strikes. This will become a possibility because instead of dealing with outward symptoms, doctors will check each individual's genes and analyzed. They will then get probabilities of getting illnesses and conditions so a future patient is treated even before getting the illness. Physicians will also be able to assess the type of environments that genes are most compatible with and with the highest probability of ensuring healthy bodies. There are already existing technologies at present that make use of nanotechnological devices and deal with illnesses on the molecular level. Medicine will not only be preventive in the future but also predictive and personalized. Also, the asymmetrical information gap between doctor and patient will be narrowed as patients are more medically informed even without getting a medical degree. If ordinary people are able to publish videos in youtube with the quality almost equal to videos created by professionals then it would be similar for medicine. The internet is providing people now with easy access to information, tools and services that were not available to them before. Medical knowledge is not an exception and people might be able to make a few basic prescriptions for themselves in the future. It will be just like Aldous Huxley's brave new world, only braver. Gene therapy and hormone technology like hgh shots will be obsolete.