TWC Sesson 6

Session 6 was focused on BioBusiness Revolution: Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences. We looked at the development of various incredibly innovative ways the bio-business have grown and are growing into over the years.

There are several interesting trends observed during the session. One such was the decline of communicable diseases and rise of chronic illness in developing countries. As medical technology improved in developed countries, problems associated with food, hygiene and mortality rate dramatically decreases. However, this has lead to its own set of problems. A little digging revealed that the chronic illnesses are given very apt names in developed countries: diseases of civilization, diseases of affluence, or Western diseases. Among the many diseases of civilization are: obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease among a whole laundry list of other problems typically associated with people who've eat too much or lived too long. While in developing countries, communicable diseases are still the primary problem mainly due to lack of sanitation, poor access to adequate nutrition and sub-standard medical services. Chronic illness are still a side-note as people simply didn't eat enough or lived long enough to contract them.

Another interesting issue discussed was future of medical care. There was a video showing that this is shifting toward a more personalized care system where doctors can now monitor your health 24/7, probably via microchip implants. Consultations using video conferencing technology can now allow patients to skip the hour long (a gross understatement) queues and see the doctor from the comfort of their own home. This will drastically expedite the medical check-up process as it will save time for both the doctor and the patient. However, I feel that this will present issues of its own. Although I do not doubt the feasibility of this practice, it is already possible with existing technology, I do have doubt over the quality of the medical consultations provided through video conferencing. Without the physical presence of the patient, the doctors will be unable to do a detailed check-up on the patient that will draw on their own experiences and knowledge as a medical professional. Instead, the bulk of consultation will then have to rely on the information provided by the patient over video conference due to the lack of proximity. There is then a shift of responsibility of provision of relevant medical information from someone who knows the human anatomy a little better to someone who doesn't and might not be in the best position to provide such decisions due to sickness, etc. Nonetheless, there is still great potential in this service.

Overall I will rate this lesson 8/10. The session was very informative and exposed me to an new, interesting industry sector.