Commentary: we need to be better prepared for a technological future

BMJ 2015; 350 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h279 (Published 10 February 2015)Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h279

Bertalan Mesko, medical futurist

berci@medicalfuturist.com

A few times a week, I put a small device into a pocket on a wristband and measure my sleep pattern. I use the results to set my smart watch to wake me up at the optimum time (when I start moving and I’m not in deep sleep any more). That way I wake up energised. When I go out for a run I collect data with activity trackers and wear a chest strip to chart my heart rate to motivate me to improve my performance. Once a week, I measure my blood pressure, and I can do an echocardiogram at home. From home I also access the peer reviewed literature and look at information sourced from my curated social media channels. For relaxation I use a device that gives feedback about my brain activity, and I improve my cognitive skills by playing neuroscience validated online games. Once a month I check if I am eating too fast with a smart fork (www.hapi.com/product/hapifork). Does it sound obsessive? My lifestyle is not even at the end of the scale.

Chris Dancy, described in Businessweek as possibly the most connected human on earth, has hundreds of sensors on his body and a smart home that can dim the lights and start playing classical music when he is getting stressed.There are people living with augmented reality cameras in their eyes and magnetic implants in their fingertips that allow them to remotely unlock a smart phone or a garage door. These examples are among myriad new technologies and innovations coming on stream that collectively will not only enable people to manage their health but are set to tear down the ivory tower of medicine too (box).