We live in a time where medical technology is evolving faster than we can imagine. For that we have exceptional and dedicated scientists and researchers to thank. In 2008, the Human Microbiome Project was established, “with the mission of generating resources that would enable the comprehensive characterization of the human microbiome and analysis of its role in human health and disease.”

Digital medicine is an emerging technology which is likely to have an immensely disruptive influence on the medical device market.¹ It is central to the concept of digital health, a confluence of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, and biomarkers, which are enabling us to know human biology on an individual basis.² These new digital tools are capable of recording clinical data and generating medical information, and make it possible to develop digital medicine that is more precise, effective and widely distributed than current medical practices.³ While digital medicine first emerged a few years ago as wearable devices, the newest generation of ingestible electronics will allow practitioners to diagnose, detect and monitor physiological conditions across a wide range of diagnostics and therapeutics.

Telehealth and telemedicine are fast becoming a central theme for healthcare delivery in the U.S. and in many cases, around the world. In our highly technological world, the healthcare industry is harnessing the power of technology to best meet the needs of those they serve through the use of remote medical services. While telehealth and telemedicine are closely aligned terms, they describe distinct matters.

The Human Genome Project (HGP), which started in 1990 and was completed in 2003, spurred a revolution in biotechnology innovation around the world. The project helped map the understanding of all human genes, and paved the way for a completely new approach to our healthcare – personalized medicine. But with any new developments, no matter how impactful, some very important questions and concerns must be raised. With personalized medicine and its associated genetic sequencing, there are ethical, social and legal implications.

Personalized medicine is transforming how physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Rather than being limited to tools featuring the same therapies to treat patients with similar or specific disorders, therapies can now be tailored to the patient’s individual characteristics and needs. Central to this new medical model is the identification and detection of biomarkers, or the molecules that occur naturally in the human body.