Conference Presentation, Panel
Health Care in the Digital Age
- The completion of the human genome sequencing by 2003, initially estimated at approximately $3.8 billion, has been realized, with current sequencing costs becoming significantly lower.
- Future healthcare is projected to shift from episodic treatment to wellness models driven by data mining and unprecedented disease understanding, with 100% ownership of wearable devices anticipated within five years.
- Data infrastructure must evolve to handle "unfathomable amounts," with current systems already at 4 petabytes and projected to reach exabytes, requiring a national infrastructure capable of transporting data at six terabytes per second.
- Accelerated genomic and proteomic analysis aims to reduce processing times from weeks to near real-time using supercomputers to manage 2,000 to 3,000 patients daily, moving beyond the human genome to the protein level.
- Clinical applications include phase two trials involving 40 patients, including a complete response in Hodgkin's disease, utilizing "living drugs" like activated natural killer cells to target tumors.
- Academic and private sector collaboration will increase through open data initiatives, such as at Purdue University where freshmen can retain IP rights, to foster new companies addressing data problems.
- Patient data control is expected to become universal in information-based healthcare, with half of the existing data being less than two years old, influencing behavior through gamification.
- Significant challenges include a gap in health literacy, disparities in technology access for vulnerable populations, and the lack of longitudinal studies, requiring patients to drive data interpretation.
- Security risks are highlighted by the high value of personal health information on the black market, exemplified by the Anthem hack affecting 100 million people, necessitating market-driven security solutions.
- Systemic issues involve "data tombs" from clinical trials, an overabundance of reported biomarkers with low FDA approval rates (over 400,000 reported versus fewer than one approved annually), and a need for government-led standardization and interoperability.
- The current medical system is described as highly disconnected, with a need to move from publishing biased experimental papers to reproducing data across the scientific community.
- Existing connectivity spans 350 hospitals capturing vital signs, with plans to expand mission control centers and transport connected device boxes into homes as next-generation setups.