BioBusiness is the commercial activity based on an understanding of life sciences and life science processes, which encompasses biomedical, agri-veterinary, environmental and other areas. Prof. Shahi introduced the lesson by showing us a video by Mirosoft about the future vision on healthcare. What an interesting video it was! It featured new technologies which would undoubtedly bring much convenience to patients. Tele-consultation for example, enables patients to speak to their doctor on broadband, without the need to travel nor queue for their turn, which saves transportation costs as well as time. This is particularly beneficial for patients with mobility issues. It also reminds patients to take their medicine, which medicine, and how much of the medicine to take, and therefore relieving the doctors from their role in this aspect. Indeed, this would definitely speed up the process at which patients are attended to, where time previously wasted from waiting in queues and administrative resources spent could now be saved, which therefore increases efficiency and productivity in the healthcare industry as a whole.
Learning points:
1. Demographic and epidemiological change is a key driver for Innovation and Change in Healthcare and the Biomedical Sciences. As societies develop from rural to urban, patterns of disease changes. In the past, communicable diseases were more common, such as diarrhoeal diseases due to the lack of clean water supply, and perinatal conditions, due to the lack of facilities to take of babies for example. This pattern is predicted to change from 1990 to a projected year of 2020. As populations get more affluent, people suffer from non-communicable diseases such as chronic diseases instead. Such a pattern causes a shift in the focus from disease management to wellness management instead.
2. Impacts of ICT on bioengineering technology: Birth of computer systems, use of databases to compare proteins/amino acids sequences to analyse and compare and to model, to create new database technologies to store information. ICT is revolutionizing the field of pharmaceutical industries and in the future, the genetics of human beings.
3. Pandemic vs epidemic. Pandemic, outbreak of multiple places. Epidemic is outbreak of diseases in a restricted place. Major cause of concern: always a fear of the next big outbreak. 1918 pandemic for example, killed 60% of people exposed to the virus. How extensive would the damage be, when no immunity is available for the next virus? Equity issues such as who should get access to vaccines first?
4. From Reading 1:
- Moving from disease management to wellness management. (Fitness industry, aesthetics industry, use of alternative and complementary therapies. To maximize wellness is to prevent people for being sick in the first place)
- Not just disease of deprivation now, like anorexia and bulimia, but disease of excess and disease of the aged.
-Increasing affluence. Growing role for private sector in healthcare service provision. Move towards public-private cooperation. Change of government role.
- Those who have the most need have the least access (and least ability to pay for) capabilities and resources that can help them to help themselves.
- Diseases know no borders; global village. Collective responsibility to manage the widespread disease.
5. Changing consumer need, demand and expectations: Eg. changing dietary patterns, changing lifestyle patterns. Video: "Global pulse, obesity going global." Given that fast food is being marketed by MNCs as good food, and that they are getting increasingly affordable to all, the issue of obesity is becoming a global pandemic. This is further exacerbated when obese parents eating habits influences their children as well. It is suggested that the following generations will live shorter lives than their parents. Then again, innovative weight technologies or dietary supplements can be innovated to perhaps solve this pandemic for the following generations.
I would give this lesson a 8/10, looking forward to next lesson!
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