The term “Paradigm Shift” originated in the mind of Thomas Kuhn, an American philosopher. According to Kuhn, crisis in our world is what leads to paradigm shifts. The presence of the Coronavirus has caused a paradigm shift in Telemedicine. The current outbreak has resulted in a significant change in Telehealth policy over the last three months. We have seen a surge in virtual health visits which have optimized screening, monitoring and treatment. Data, artificial intelligence, technology-based health systems and connectivity are becoming important tools to face the challenges. These advancements are offering new options for personalized care and will evolve beyond the current pandemic as we advance into the future.
We are all looking and wondering when the next paradigm shift will happen. Think for a moment to the next 10 years. A decade from now, most tablets and capsules will have some sort of electronic delivery system for improved treatment outcomes. If you look at history, you will notice when technologies align, those shifts happen quickly.
The invention and development of cell phones. The 1980s embodied a time where we moved from simple landline telephones to cell phones. What happened? Technology got better. Within 10 years, cell phones were available across the world. There were no smartphones at the beginning of this decade. Then in 2003, the iPhone was released, and this sparked a paradigm shift. The world went from cell phones to fully functioning smartphones. With this shift came the improvement of wireless technology and power.
For years cooking was done very conventionally, people would typically use the stove top. When the technology became available to support the invention, the microwave was quickly developed and made available to consumers.
The next paradigm shift is upon us. This shift is likely to occur in the realm of conventional drug delivery systems. Tablets, capsules, and syringes have remained virtually the same since the 1800s; today, technology has advanced far enough for superior drug delivery systems to revolutionize patient care with precision medicine and personalized delivery systems.
These innovations have not yet appeared because the technology was not always available however a new age of health tech is upon us and technology is aligning for a paradigm shift to patient-centric drug delivery.