TRENDS IN HEALTH CARE

About the Book

The book you are holding is an introduction to the questions which arise when considering the future of healthcare. It tackles the history of healthcare systems and their complex evolution, focuses on new trends and increasingly sophisticated technology while acknowledging that health is one of the highest human values. It sets out the main trends in the field of global health which will shape future healthcare systems. It reviews their development and specifies the major factors leading to their evolution by trying to answer the question ‘Which global trends affect our health and healthcare services and how do they change over time?’ The writer also studies ways of managing changes in the demand for health services and aims to provide a tool for a fruitful dialogue concerning methods of adjusting supply. Prevention lies at the base of every successful health system. It is the key to a more healthy society and the reduction of healthcare expenditure. In a new era when everything is changing, the health sector can’t remain unaffected; for example, have you ever heard of personalised medicine, evidence-based medicine, synthetic biology, or genetic aristocracy and many more new approaches? How is nanotechnology, the evolution of biotechnology, or the use of exoskeletons going to help us? Which are the new Amazons of the health and pharmaceutical sector and what good practices should policymakers can adopt? What new potential do we get from 3D printing? How are mobile technologies, location-based services, and advanced generation sensors going to change the way we demand and receive healthcare, and what challenges are we going to face? If you want to understand how healthcare systems operate, or what new trends are going to change the provision of health services? We must remember, however, that in suggesting solutions, those which are not affordable are not solutions.

About the Author

Iris Efthymiou Prior to starting a family, Iris had a successful career in public affairs and business consultancy. For the past four years, Iris has focused her attention on the health sector and, in particular, the future of global healthcare including what she believes is the link between ancient ‘holistic’ methods and modern ideas for the delivery of inclusive care often ‘branded ‘ by the prefix ‘Community’. As well as undertaking the comprehensive research necessary for her new series of books, she has completed a ‘Masters’ and numerous other upgrades with major academic institutions including Johns Hopkins University, Harvardx, and the Karolinska Institute. Her work with healthcare professionals has given her an in-depth understanding of current needs and, from that, the insight required to create solutions for a rapidly changing future. These have to take into account the giant impact of innovative technologies and how they will affect ‘human to human’ care, with particular attention being paid to the imminent exponential growth in AI. Iris has the ability to be able communicate complicated ideas in simple, understandable English (‘Globeish’!). This ability derives from her varied International business and consultancy career where her experiences included organising business and academic conferences and being one of the keynote speakers along with numerous well-known public figures. Her combined knowledge base in healthcare, business, and economics make her uniquely qualified to help create and develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing healthcare and its ‘humanity’ in the new technological age. Her ability to ‘speak the same language’ in medical, political, and governmental ecosystems is a tremendous advantage. During this latter period, Iris has also been travelling between Switzerland, UK, Greece, and USA with her Anglo-Swiss businessman husband and their son.