How Advances in Biology and Medicine impacted and changed healthcare.

1)Describe how medicine has changed today compared to 20 years ago?

About 20 years ago knowledge and understading of medicine was very different than it is
today. Understanding of anatomy and physiology was at a macro level when compared to
it is today. Development in the fields of imaging, surgery and research has provided with
opportunity to look into different physiological processes and pharmacokinetics. With new
advance in imaging technique such as functional MRI healthcare community has attained
better understanding of activation of certain areas of brain associated with a certain
physiological function.
Some of the major breakthroughs to name some could be:
once-a-day HIV medicine.
molecular targeted cancer Rx for leukemia
mAb treatments for rheumatoid arthritis
2)Discuss with specific examples whether these changes are helping or hurting society?
Illustrate your argument with 3 specific examples
New initiatives such as genome project have benefited the society in a positive way. Public
data base has helped many researchers would wide in obtaining control data for their
research and hence helped in keeping the resultant healthcare cost down.
Research in stem cell projects over the past years has a positive impact on society. For
now healthcare cost has increased secondary to high cost of obtaining and storing
samples, along with requiring highly trained and skilled professionals but down the line
once we have more universities offering specific course concentration the overall cost will
reduce.
New research and advancement in cardio-pulmonary has improved cardiac rehabilitation
which in turn has helped general population in keeping up with hectic and highly
competitive life style. Advanced telemetry has allowed middle aged professionals to return
to work as soon as 4-5 days post cardiac episode which helps reduce effective healthcare
cost.

3.Do you think that medicine is becoming more holistic? If either Yes or No, Give

some examples to defend your argument .

In my opinion younger generations are becoming more aware about holistic health but
medicine is moving away from holistic approach. With increase in cost of living and
increased per-capital income people want quick symptomatic relief so that individual and
return to work. To match the same as I mentioned in previous example to cardiac rehab
treatment approach in concentration on early mobilization of patients by reducing
symptoms. Holistic approach treatments such as life style modification is advised but as a
secondary protocol.