New technologies may reshape health care

It was recently observed that the percentage of doctors working in primary health care has dropped from 41% in 1999 to only 35% in 2009, with an associated increase in medical specialists. Coupled with an aging cohort of doctors, general practice has many future challenges, with some suggestions, such as substitution by nurses and pharmacists, fuelling the ongoing debate about its future. More importantly, shortages are now greater in areas classified as rural, remote or disadvantaged, and in third world regions. Emerging technologies in medical diagnostics, however, may slow or even reverse the drift to increasing specialisation. Examples are presented for three important disruptive new technologies that are already entering service and have potentially a very significant impact on medical diagnostics delivery and the health care industry, including current business models