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e water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise." Archbishop Oscar Romero wasn't referring to medical advances, but he could have been describing health trends of today and your place in the exciting world of healthcare. Discoveries from the past ten years are propelling the world into a new era typified by genetics, individual patient technology and a better understanding of wellness and disease. Big Business 2006 ushered in an impressive level of healthcare spending. America's healthcare costs were estimated to be about $6,300 per person in 2004. These expenditures are projected to rise to about $12,300 per person by 2015. Well over 4 trillion dollars were spent by the middle of 2006 alone. The U. S. Department of Labor estimates the growth in healthcare jobs will outpace most others over the next ten years. Many authorities predict continued shortages in the nursing and allied health workforce coupled with a deficit in the number of physicians needed in Georgia and throughout our country. That translates into job security with remarkable wages and benefits for the future. An Aging America
At age 50, Americans can expect to live into their eighties - nine years longer than expected if born in the year 1900. The U.S. population is rapidly graying and the chronic health problems occur with aging will require continuing evaluation, treatment and monitoring. 78 million Baby Boomers will retire over the next two decades. These will be medically-sophisticated people expecting to stay healthier for longer than their parents. This will create an enormous need for healthcare workers in any field caring for older adults in America. Culture Healthcare will need to balance the increasing diversity in America and its various cultural values. Over the coming decade, the healthcare community will actively respond to changes in our societal landscape and the cultural needs of the health system. An understanding of patients' medical cultural values and multilingualism will be vital for effective and safe patient communication and treatment. We’ll see Americans being asked to stop using tobacco, eat better, undergo regular health evaluations and increase their exercise as alternatives to higher healthcare premiums. Those who avoid lifestyles contributing to poor health will be rewarded for their choices with lower premiums and increased health insurance options. Health Insurance and Good Health Approximately 45 million Americans do not
have health insurance. They consult a healthcare provider only when
sick. Many use emergency rooms for their health needs and
Genetic Medicine Current treatments are directed toward the treatment of symptoms, but not always by the root cause of disease and illness. Discoveries from the Human Genome Project and other explorations of human genetics will fundamentally change the way medicine is practiced. Personalized treatments will result from mapping patients' genetic information, permitting disease prevention and precise choices of the most effective treatments for each individual. Drugs will be designed to intervene earlier in the course of disease and harmful drug side effects will be lessened or eliminated. Genetic analysis of cancer and detecting early growth will reveal molecular level information and allow targeted treatment. Drugs will be individualized to the patient's cancer cells' behavior and genetic makeup. We'll be able to help our children prevent the emergence of some inherited medical problems by early education and behavioral changes before they become adults. The future holds the possibility for stem cell or other gene treatments to prevent some inherited diseases. Spirit and Science Together New evidence clearly links the mind and body together. A worried mind has adverse health effects. Emphasis will be placed on the spiritual aspects of healthcare and how prayer, meditation and relaxation techniques blend with traditional medicine. Cancer clinicians have long seen the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, massage and other practices complement recovery and patient well-being. More and more people will use complementary and alternative medical approaches to stay healthy and treat their medical problems. Technology Drives Health and Education Healthcare and health professions training are experiencing a technological revolution to rival the discovery of antibiotics. The Internet is equalizing the understanding of medicine between patients and those in healthcare. Students around the world simultaneously learn and see distant procedures, demonstrations or lectures. Consultations with clinicians overseas will become commonplace via internet-conferencing. Robotic hands already enhance prostate, heart, brain and other delicate surgeries through tiny incisions with shorter recovery times and markedly increased accuracy. Surgeons can practice a procedure as many times as needed with virtual reality programs, to assure competence without the need for live patients. Other programs can simulate adult and pediatric emergency situations or “flying” views throughout the colon, brain or heart. The camera in a capsule is a recent technological innovation. Electronic health records will revolutionize information sharing and reduce medical errors. Soon we'll carry cards or small computer chips containing our entire health history. Say you're rafting down a north Georgia river when you're knocked unconscious. By accessing your "history on a chip," the hospital will obtain a list of your current medications, allergies and the name and phone number of your physician back home. Here are a few other innovations predicted for the next several decades:
"We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise." No one is as well prepared to take advantage of the changes taking place in healthcare than you. Colleges and universities are looking for students excited to explore new patient care models and innovative technical solutions to the world's health problems. From technicians and aides to physicians and nurses, there's a job waiting for anyone interested in the health professions. The following pages are your map to a satisfying future. Take a few moments and look around! |
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do
not have annual screenings like physicals and mammograms to promote
preventative health or find early problems before they become serious.
America is engaging in a fresh dialogue to ask if healthcare is a right
for all people and health policy experts are seeking new ways to provide
healthcare for the uninsured. In the private sector, health plans
are offering many menus and choices. Unlimited healthcare benefits
provided by employers are a thing of the past. How much insurance we
want will be based on what we can afford to pay. Wellness is rapidly
becoming a personal responsibility with a dollar value.
We'll
see Americans asked to stop using tobacco, eat better, undergo regular
health evaluations and increase their exercise as alternatives to higher health
insurance premiums. Those who avoid lifestyles contributing to poor
health will be rewarded for their choices with lower premiums and
increased health insurance options.
A new generation
of smart drugs and medical devices will improve our health
and overall physical performance. As an example, diabetics
will have sensors beneath their skin that control implanted
pumps containing insulin to keep blood sugars normal at all
times. Memory and mood will be enhanced with new
medications.
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Georgia Statewide AHEC Network |
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