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Published On January 28, 2015
TECHNOLOGY
Second Opinion Winter 2015
Readers weight in on the promise of 3D printing in medicine and the importance of telehealth technology.
Manufacturing a New Solution for an Old Problem
The past 20 years have been a time of exciting progress in the field of regenerative medicine. Yet examples of tissue engineering strategies that are currently used in the clinic are few.
A new era in tissue regeneration has started with the advent of 3D bioprinters. As Proto highlighted (“Printing a New You,” Fall 2014), the 3D printing of living organs will be revolutionary. Nevertheless, a great gap exists between what we have learned from single layers of cells cultured on petri dishes, and what we must learn about fabricating solid 3D organs.
While 3D printers may make it easier to mimic the 3D structure of living tissues, a far greater challenge is to understand and control the biological requirements that allow a group of cells to become functional organs. Bioprinters are certainly powerful tools, but the answers that will determine the future of bioprinted tissues are more likely to be uncovered in the longstanding foundations of biology and medicine than in engineering textbooks. Still, one will not progress without the other.
We may be a long way from 3D bioprinting entire organs, but when that happens, the future of health care will change. And that is an achievement well worth waiting for.
Luiz E. Bertassoni // Assistant Professor, School of Dentistry, University of Sydney
Technology for the Now
Almost a half century after Keneth Bird found a way to examine patients via two-way television in Logan Airport’s Medical Clinic, telehealth has finally reached its tipping point. Yes, there continue to be challenges with reimbursement and licensing, but these are now forces fighting the momentum of a boulder rolling downhill. These countervailing forces should not be discounted, as they have held relatively strong for decades. But the mass of the boulder has grown larger and is now growing exponentially.
Telehealth is the right technology for the now. Americans are demanding empowerment and convenience of their health care providers—in addition to high-quality, personalized care. With the widespread adoption of electronic health records and patient portals, providers and patients alike have progressively shown increased comfort and trust in the use of information technology for health. And the growth of accountable care organizations (ACOs), as well as high-deductible health insurance, support cost-efficient interventions—in spirit, if not in deed.
Proto’s article “(Out of) Office Visit” (Fall 2014) details important and diverse telehealth case studies from which we all can learn. The authors also point to important areas in which we need to grow. First, we need more data-driven evidence, of the sort High Point Regional Health and Lee Memorial Health System have shared, to guide our practice for the safe and effective use of telehealth. Specifically, we need more trials comparing telehealth to traditional in-person care for both inpatient and ambulatory care in diverse patient populations—not just rural or disenfranchised populations. Second, technology companies and health care providers alike need to continue to improve reliability and usability, and to optimize our telehealth workflows and patient interactions. Robots versus carts—coming soon to a hospital or clinic near you.
Seth Bokser // Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Informatics, University of California, San Francisco
Dispatches

What Makes a Kid Clumsy? More research into coordination disorders shows why some children are more prone to trip, fumble and spill the milk.

Eyes in the Sky Satellite data can be used to assess the health impact of dust storms and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Additional applications could be on the horizon.

Could This One Change Help Curb the Opioid Crisis? To prescribe an effective bridge to addiction treatment, emergency physicians must get special training and receive a waiver. Making that process easier—or eliminating the requirement altogether—could make a big impact.

One Thing Leads to the Next Robert Lefkowitz is best known for revealing the mechanism behind hundreds of drugs in use today. But he thinks of himself as a storyteller first and has a new book out to make his case.

Podcast: The Research Year That Was Medical research labs have faced a difficult stretch of closed buildings and competing priorities. Yet they have also produced milestone discoveries—and not only on COVID-19.

The Shape of Us Two milestone discoveries in protein modeling promise to change the fundamentals of drug discovery.

Universal Flu Vaccines Move Forward In the shadow of coronavirus vaccine development, another vaccine was making solid progress.

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