In the coming decades, we will be probably amazed by the advances in technology and medical treatments that will come along with them.
In the last 50 years, advances in medical technology have skyrocketed.
Today, with more resources being devoted to finding new ways to manage and treat disease, there are even more possibilities for the future. As the world’s population continues to increase and the average person’s lifespan improves, more medical breakthroughs are being discovered.
Here are 10 possible medical treatments that may be coming soon to a hospital or healthcare center near you.
1. Using 3D Printers for Prosthetics
One of the most exciting tools of technology is the 3D printer. Businesses and crafters are using this innovative device to create things that they previously could only imagine. In the healthcare industry, there have been a number of cases where a 3D printer has become essential.
Using a 3D printer to help create prosthetics is the most common advance that will soon start to be uniform. It is also possible that in the future, body parts for transplants may even be created with 3D printers.
2. Implanting Microchips for Treatment
Another possibility for the future of medical care is using microchips to deliver treatment. Instead of administering daily medication via a pill, patients may be able to have their doses sent automatically through an implantable microchip. This gives elderly patients who may not remember when to take their medicine a better way of receiving treatment.
Medical treatments for certain conditions can be customized even further this way as well.
3. Having Wearable Medical Devices
Another trend in the medical industry is incorporating wearable medical devices into a health plan. Patients who need constant monitoring, such as those with heart disease or diabetes, could potentially wear a device that acts as a mobile heart or insulin monitor.
These devices could send data to the physician and sound alerts if there is a problem.
4. Incorporating Genomics Into Care
A new idea for the future is to use the body’s genomic code for an individualized health plan. Instead of a generic cure or treatment for various ailments, researchers are focusing on specific individual cases and their genomic code when developing therapies.
This type of care may be time-consuming at the moment due to the amount of analysis each case requires. Eventually, researchers hope to streamline the process of care using computers with more cases.
5. Eliminating Surgical Incisions
Surgical procedures of the future may be easier to recover from as well. Scientists and doctors are looking at ways to eliminate the need to create surgical incisions. The alternative is to expand the use of endoscopic surgical procedures, which utilize natural orifices of the body and give patients less recovery time.
6. Fixing Your DNA Makeup
The next advance that is showing promise is an attempt to work with your DNA makeup and treat the errors in your code to reduce the chances of developing a disease. This type of DNA therapy aims to correct mistakes before they lead to major health problems. Like any type of genetic therapy, this type of advance does elicit some controversy.
7. Analyzing Medical Data
Medical data may start to become more useful in the future as well. The healthcare industry is exploring the possibility of using supercomputers to analyze the data about diseases and other medical issues in order to develop future medical treatments. This way, any trends or approaches that have been missed by human eyes can be found and utilized.
8. Making Healthcare More Accessible
Another positive medical trend that could potentially save more lives is the idea of making healthcare more accessible. Doctors are beginning to use virtual reality and telemedicine to help reach patients in remote areas or in places where there is a shortage of healthcare providers. Then, there will be more equity in the population when it comes to quality healthcare.
9. Finding New Cancer Treatments
The future of cancer research is also benefiting from many scientists’ discoveries happening now. Scientists and researchers are trying to find more ways to treat cancer without using chemotherapy. Instead of killing healthy cells like chemotherapy tends to do, some new medical treatments focus on a more targeted approach that primarily addresses the makeup of a cancer cell.
10. Fighting Against Powerful Superbugs
The last medical breakthrough that is going to start appearing beyond the horizon has to do with powerful superbugs. In recent years, the medical community has been troubled by new antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections that are being seen in hospitals and other spots.
These superbugs have frustrated medical providers and devastated families who have lost their loved ones. Researchers are working diligently to find new antibiotics that can treat these stubborn organisms before more people succumb to these type of infections.
The medical research outlook for the next few years is promising in a variety of areas. More advanced ways of treating disease and chronic conditions will be able to help a new generation of individuals live a healthy and long life.