Technology and Health Care - Volume 23, issue 1

Authors: Huttin, Christine C.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The global burden of diseases is predicted to increase considerably in the coming decades (GBD project, WHO, 2010 [1]) – WHO-World Bank study, 1991 [2]); for example, the World Alzheimer Report and the UN Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases estimate that the burden associated with dementia will increase 2-fold by 2030 and 3-4-fold by 2050. Therefore, urgent needs must be met in order to help policy-makers deal with the increasing societal costs of diseases. Recent technologies can facilitate the detection and prevention of mild cases of cognitive impairments, or integrative genomic medicine can target more individualized genetic traits and …pedigrees; however, scientists do not necessarily agree: results from a recent population-based study using population imaging [3] differed from results obtained using integrative genomics approaches [4], and controversy exists between molecular biologists [5,6] and geneticists [7,8] with respect to asthma genetics. These differences have led to different predictive disease models and can influence the assessment of aging and environmental modifiers. This paper highlights implications for the governance of health systems using current debates on the evolution of these major fields of science. In addition, this paper discusses the potential translation of these models for use in clinical practice, particularly with telemedicine and telecare dominated by new IT technologies and challenges of science in transition. Show more

Keywords: Scientific controversies, health system reforms, mobile healthcare technologies

DOI: 10.3233/THC-140873

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 103-108, 2015

Authors: Liebman, Michael N. | Franchini, Michela | Molinaro, Sabrina

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: To date, the actual rate of successful translation has been extremely low although those few successes have been notable and provide for continued and expanding enthusiasm and support. This paper examines whether the fundamental premise may be flawed. Could the success rate be improved to further enhance quality of life and cost optimization for patients by changing the paradigm to “bedside to bench to bedside”, and focusing the research on addressing unmet clinical needs? It examines all aspects of the healthcare ecosystem to understand issues that arise with real world patients and in real world clinical practice and how addressing …these should be the focus of translational research. Show more

Keywords: Translational medicine, unmet clinical needs, breast cancer, rare disease

DOI: 10.3233/THC-140874

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 109-118, 2015