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Flashcards in The challenges to modern medicine Deck (26)
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1
Q

What are the aims of modern medicine

A

Longevity
Quality of life
Life free of disease or disability
These should guide our clinical decisions when treating patients

2
Q

What are the three changes that have had a major influence on health

A

Ageing population- need to tailor services differently, new inheritable diseases arise
Population Growth
Technological Advances- many countries cannot absorb new platforms

3
Q

How have deaths from NCDs changes globally and why

A

Increased

Due to population ageing and growth

4
Q

How has the total number of deaths in the world changed and why

A

Increased

Due to population ageing and growth.

5
Q

How has the total number of deaths from neonatal, communicable, maternal and nutritional diseases changed and why

A

Decreased
Due to population growth
Risk exposure and risk-deleted mortality rate

6
Q

How has the total number of deaths from injuries changes and why

A

Increased

Risk exposure, population growth and ageing population

7
Q

What represent some of the biggest risks to health

A

Diet high in processed meat
High BMI
Drug use
High fasting plasma glucose

8
Q

Where does death from dementia place in the leading causes of death in the UK in 2015

A

1st

9
Q

Describe the changes in the prevalence of mental health

A

It is increasing.

10
Q

Describe how burden represents a challenge to medicine

A

The magnitude
? Some people more susceptible than others
- Illness can be analysed at cell level (Biomarkers/DNA)

11
Q

Describe how ageing represents a challenge to medicine

A
Ageing still mystery
Chronic diseases (NCDs) 
Longer lifespan = dementia
-   ? Brian cells studies, no cure for dementia as we cannot access brain cells- only linked to function of the brain.
12
Q

Explain how we are starting to analyse disease at a cellular level

A

Some people may be more susceptible to disease than others- hence we are starting to analyse disease on a cellular level (biomarkers)

13
Q

How has the distributed deaths changed since 1915

A

1915- even distribution, peaks at birth and at around 70

now- majority of deaths occur over the age of 50.

14
Q

Describe the consequences of an ageing population

A

More people living over the age of 90- we need to shift resources to supply this. Greater percentage of total expenditure spend on this target group on high need, high cost cases. (5% of population accounts for over half the spending).

15
Q

Describe how obesity represents a challenge to modern medicine

A

Obesity (pollution, stress & diet change DNA)
Most diseases linked to obesity
Population vs Individual management

16
Q

Describe the efficacy of current measures to prevent obesity

A

Government intervention at a national level is failing with obesity, genetic treatment is the future.

17
Q

Describe personalised medicine

A

Interventions adaptable to individual patient’s genetic composition
High expectations
Access to information

18
Q

Describe the contribution of the NHS to our health

A

Contributes to about 10% of our health, the rest is genetic and formed by social and economic interactions

19
Q

Describe real-time cancer diagnostics

A

Intelligent electric surgical knife
Vaporized smoke analyzed by a mass spectrometer to detect the chemicals in biological sample
Real-time identification of malignant tissue
Cheaper, more accurate diagnosis
Higher success rates for patients

20
Q

Describe remote-controlled microbiots

A

Can reach any organ in the body for surgery.

21
Q

Describe the applications of targeted therapies

A

Blocking the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis and tumor growth
Could unlock the immune system- cytotoxic T cells that recognise cancer cells

22
Q

Describe how antibiotic resistance represents a challenge to modern medicine

A

“ the end of modern medicine” CMO 2015
No significant investments in new antibiotics
Misuse, lack of control, patients demands, competencies

23
Q

Describe how technology, evidence and information represents a challenge to modern medicine

A

Technology: Benefits (reduces cost, more targeted, higher success rates), Risks-overdiagnosis and treatment-worse in countries with no guidelines.
Population & individual access to knowledge
Evidence: generation, access- half of findings may be untrue.
Artificial Intelligence: diagnosis & treatment- to help with increasing volume of evidence (medical knowledge doubles every 73 days).

24
Q

Describe artificial intelligence based therapy

A

A human cannot digest billions of experimental data, thousands of clinical trials vs. patient’s individual parameters and mutations

Artificial intelligence algorithms expedite in minutes all available evidence into real benefits, allowing the most personalized treatment

This may dramatically increase treatment efficacy

25
Q

Describe how today’s and the future workforce represents a challenge to modern medicine

A

Shortage of health professionals (numbers/Types)
? Competencies (quality/safety)
Curriculum development (Edu/Training)
Multidisciplinary Team /Skills (transferable/change)

26
Q

What are the impacts of these challenges on medical practice

A

We have to:
Master information technology & access to evidence (costs!!)
Counselor/Coach/Partner- can’t just be healers, need to councel and support them in treatments and decisions
Chronic diseases NCDs): Prevention & Control
Work in interdiscipenary team
Design & quality improvement of service
Break the silos between service
Maximise Population Benefit (Leapfrogging H Systems) - move services in a more advanced way