In this week’s episode of The Bleeding Edge of Digital Health, Mike Moore chats with medical futurist and keynote speaker Bertalan Mesko to discuss modern medicine's future and the trends impacting the industry. As a professional and seasoned futurist, Bertalan has spent his life studying medicine and pushing the boundaries of what is possible for the healthcare system to bring the industry into a new age. With his commitment to this profession, he is also beginning a program to support the next generation of medical futurists and thought leaders. In their conversation, Bertalan shares his thoughts on the trends he has observed as companies and corporations push forward into the future of digital health. He also touches on the six points he uses to assess a technology’s potential and the pros and cons that come with digital and technological advances on an individual level. Notable Quotes“For the first time in the history of medicine, now patients can sit at the same table that only their physicians have been sitting at since the dawn of modern medicine. I think that simply is the biggest milestone in history, and that is the challenge we should all focus on – to acknowledge the importance of patient empowerment. Because everything, every technological trend, every major change in how we deliver healthcare, how we practice medicine, would come after that. Because this is the change that initiated that whole transformation that we call digital health.” – Bertalan (2:42) “We have to make sure only tested, safe products reach people and get into the lives of patients, so then we can keep them alive and healthy for as long as possible. That’s why healthcare is so unique, and that’s why it’s so important to employ futuristic studies into the mindset of those people that make decisions about the near future of healthcare.” – Bertalan (20:22)In This Episode(2:06) Patient empowerment is the future of modern medicine(9:50) The “Digital Health in a Minute” series(10:58) Why medicine may become telemedicine in years to come(13:16) Why in-person care is not sustainable  (17:02) The importance of medical futuristic studies (20:47) How Bertalan is investing in the next generation of medical futurists(24:17) The 6 qualities Bertalan looks for in emerging medical companies/technologies(29:58) Why a lack of humility limits the success of big corporations  (35:28) The give and take that comes with digital advancement The Six Qualities for Company/Technology Assessment:The technology needs to meet a specific patient or clinical need. . The technology has to be scientifically backed. The technology should share the data with patients as well as physicians. The technology should improve doctor/patient relationships.The technology should be accessible through technology/software/devices that users already own. The technology should help globalize healthcare.   Our GuestDr. Bertalan Mesko, PhD is The Medical Futurist and the Director of The Medical Futurist Institute analyzing how science fiction technologies can become reality in medicine and healthcare. As a geek physician with a PhD in genomics, he is also an Amazon Top 100 author. He is also a Private Professor at Semmelweis Medical School, Budapest, Hungary. With his team at The Medical Futurist, he’s sharing his research with not just medical professionals but the general public as well through projects such as his “Digital Health in a Minute” YouTube series. He is also in the process of building a program to support the next generation of futurists and researchers. 

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