Dr. Weeks’ Comment: Dr. Eric Topol, a pioneering clinician who helped blow the whistle on the dangers of Vioxx (and forced the FDA to restrict its use which resulted in his being forced out of the Cleveland Clinic… interesting story wherein no good deed goes unpunished..), nonetheless, Dr. Topol is ahead of the curve as regards using iPhone apps to practice what Dr. Lee Hood describes as “P4 medicine” (predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory) .
Medicine today is hugely wasteful, according to Dr. Topol, because it is “dumbed down” (in his words) and technology is not being applied. Dr. Hood encourages doctors to treat the patient as an “N of 1” meaning, that for safety and effectiveness, the particulars of the individual patient needs to be considered more than statistics. The revolution is ablaze. Don’t wait for your doctor to catch on. Become participatory (Dr. Hood’s words) and “empowered” (Dr. Topol’s words). That is just what the doctor (of the future) orders!
Watch this interview and then gently suggest to your doctor that he or she join the health care revolution!
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp/50582822#50582822