Can Healthcare Technology Really Save Everyone?
In the healthcare sector, hi-tech alternatives are on the rise. At the same time, so are the risks of a growing gap between patients and access to new types of treatments.
When discussing healthcare, we often encounter two seemingly opposing concepts. On one hand, there’s good news: life expectancy is increasing. On the other, a more troubling reality: healthcare systems are under growing strain. Does this mean we will live longer but with fewer medical resources and greater inequalities?
As populations age, the prevalence of chronic diseases inevitably rises, leading to higher demand for hospital care. How can we prevent the future of healthcare from being dominated by overcrowding and inefficiency?
Technology appears to offer an answer. Around the world, technological innovations are already transforming access to medical care. Solutions such as artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and the implementation of telemedicine techniques and methodologies are providing concrete responses to the needs of an increasingly aging society.
But at what cost? The risk is a society where health becomes a privilege for those who can afford it, deepening inequalities. How can we ensure that innovation improves the system without leaving anyone behind?
And most importantly, how will we navigate this transition toward the healthcare landscape of 2054?
The Current Situation
This edition of the newsletter does not aim to answer all these questions but rather to provide a framework for reflection, helping us better understand the present situation.
Let’s start with where we stand today: according to the United Nations, life expectancy at birth is expected to rise to 77 years by 2050. By 2030, at least one in six people will be over 60.
In recent decades, the United States has seen a significant decline in hospital bed availability, dropping from 1.5 million beds in 1975 to approximately 925,000 in 2019, according to the American Hospital Association. This reduction, combined with an increase in emergency room visits, has contributed to overcrowding and longer wait times.
In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) is under increasing pressure, with emergency room visits rising by 4% annually in recent years. In 2019, over 84% of patients were seen within four hours, falling short of the 95% target.
Several studies cited by Simeu, the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, indicate that “mortality effectively increases by around 30% when emergency departments and hospitals are overcrowded.” Additionally, “sentinel events in emergency rooms (unexpected deaths, accidents, and errors) are linked to overcrowding in one-third of cases.”
Reports from around the world highlight violent incidents in hospital wards, with healthcare staff facing growing challenges.
The only solution is to rethink healthcare through the lens of ‘Smart Health,’ where technology plays a crucial role in addressing these structural issues. But will it truly succeed? And at what cost?
Stories from the Future
To better understand what we’re talking about, we present two scenarios that may not be as far from reality as they seem.
The first comes from our animated series, “Echoes of Tomorrow”, which explores the very dynamics we analyze—and will continue to analyze—in this newsletter.
In this episode, Alice’s father suffers from a chronic illness. However, the way his condition is monitored is quite different from what we are accustomed to today.
In the second scenario, we fast-forward thirty years—just like this newsletter. It’s 2054, and most medical consultations take place remotely. The very structure of the city has changed: there is only one large hospital, reserved for the most critical cases.
Noemi notices an unusual mark on her arm. She scans the area with her phone’s camera. An algorithm analyzes the image, comparing it against millions of clinical records. Within seconds, she receives a notification: “Atypical lesion. Possible melanoma. Appointment with a dermatologist scheduled.”
With an agentive element (if you're a new member, you can check out our post on agentive technology), patients no longer have to worry about navigating bureaucracy to get a specific medical test.
Da Vinci
These scenarios are already closely tied to reality. For example, as early as the early 2000s, a robotic-assisted surgical system called Da Vinci Surgical System was developed by Intuitive Surgical.
It is not an autonomous robot—it doesn’t operate on its own but is controlled by a human surgeon, who guides its movements through a computerized interface. Compared to traditional surgery, it often enables more precise procedures.
The Da Vinci system can be used for procedures such as a prostatectomy (the removal of the prostate in cancer cases), colon surgery, and interventions on the pancreas or liver, just to name a few. But it comes with a major drawback: a single Da Vinci system can cost up to $2.5 million, with high maintenance costs.
It is not a system accessible to everyone.
Hospitals Around the World
However, various institutions worldwide are leveraging technology to overcome human limitations.
In the United States, the Mayo Clinic Platform utilizes artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data to enhance remote diagnoses and treatments. It is a hospital without physical wards, promising personalized, remote care.
In Sweden, the Karolinska Institutet is one of Europe’s most advanced centers, specializing in neuroscience and robot-assisted rehabilitation.
At Singapore General Hospital, personalized treatments are developed based on patients’ genetic profiles.
In Abu Dhabi, at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, robots and AI are integrated into medical practice.
The Paradoxes
The COVID-19 pandemic proved how essential it is to have a healthcare system that is responsive to sudden crises, closely connected to local communities and people’s needs. However, the data paints a concerning picture: a healthcare crisis that threatens the principle of universal access to medical care. Waiting times for exams and treatments continue to grow.
Technology may offer solutions—but not for free. Who will have access to these innovations? Will the human side of medicine be replaced by the cold efficiency of algorithms? What will happen to the empathy that makes doctors true caregivers—not just in a technical and scientific sense, but in a deeply human and philosophical one?
Technology promises to make healthcare more accessible, yet it risks making it more exclusive. What happens if progress moves faster than governments can regulate it?
Perhaps the most important question is not whether technology can truly save healthcare—but whether we will be able to use it without losing our humanity.
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A Model Ten Times Faster Than ChatGPT
California-based startup Inception has introduced Mercury, a new AI language model based on diffusion technology, typically used to generate audio and video content. According to TechCrunch, Mercury currently delivers responses ten times faster than popular models like Claude and ChatGPT.
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The podcast by
, a Slovenian journalist and expert in healthcare innovation and technology, showcases success stories and in-depth analyses of the impact of advanced technology in the medical field. Through conversations with industry experts and key figures from regulatory bodies, the podcast provides valuable insights into the global state of healthcare, offering a country-by-country perspective. An excellent resource for staying informed on the sector’s latest developments.
The temptation to search for medical information online at the first sign of a symptom is hard to resist. This phenomenon, known as cyberchondria, is fueled by unlimited access to vast amounts of health-related information, much of which is unverified.
To counteract this trend, certified solutions developed by healthcare professionals are emerging. One example is ADA, a chatbot designed to help users better understand their symptoms by relying on a verified medical database. ADA not only provides insights but also suggests a range of offline actions to take, ensuring more informed and responsible decision-making.
Our keyword for this post is Smart Health
It is an innovative healthcare model that integrates digital technologies to make medical assistance more accessible, inclusive, and efficient. Based on the 4P principles (Preventive, Participatory, Personalized, and Predictive), it promotes data interoperability, cybersecurity, and process automation, ultimately enhancing the quality of care.
Smart Health facilitates the shift from reactive to proactive medicine, leveraging a networked system that connects hospitals and local healthcare facilities. This approach optimizes the management of both acute and chronic conditions, ensuring a more proactive and patient-centered healthcare system.
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