A Call to Integrate Technology Innovation and Healthcare

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In an article called “Beyond magic bullets: true innovation in health care,” published in the February 2013 issue of Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, scientists from Janssen encouraged the healthcare industry to think outside of the drug product-focused box and look at an integrated approach to care, said a Janssen press release.

In an article called “Beyond magic bullets: true innovation in health care,” published in the February 2013 issue of Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, scientists from Janssen encouraged the healthcare industry to think outside of the drug product-focused box and look at an integrated approach to care, said a Janssen press release.

The article’s authors suggest the need for integrating drug use with devices, tools, and services, especially for central nervous system disorders. They note that mental illnesses, for example, can affect a patient’s ability to adhere to a plan for taking medicine, and suggest using on-body sensors or mobile technology such as smart phones to advance treatment efficacy.

“Integrated models have the potential to radically change patient care as we know it, while being sensitive to the time demands of caregivers,” said co-author Michael Yang, president of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, in the press release.

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PharmTech’s Stephanie Sutton wrote about other innovations, such as edible microchips and implants for injecting drugs, in a Dec. 11, 2012 blog. I can’t wait to see how information technology is applied to healthcare next.