Medical Equipment Design

The problem is the possible burgeoning of wireless enabled therapeutic devices. The Danger of wrong calls, missed links or wrong signals sent to an awaay patient , who may get into trouble is looming large. Other than drugs some of the therapies for certain cardiac and neuro conditions are juat pulses of electricity, where this kind of hazard will be more.

Make haste slowly may be the way to go.

The title says it all. Yes/no? Risk/benefit analysis for microdrug delivery is very case specific. The best case is for people with terminal illness, where the electronic delivery system gives the patient more control over the amount of pain medication they want to receive. I know someone who benefitted from a system like this in his last months of life. However it's unlikely that most drug delivery systems would be designed to provide more patient control over the medication.

I suppose that people who are chronically medicated and absent-minded might see an automatic delivery system favorably because they don't have to think about what they are taking. I also hear of new devices "to ensure patient compliance". This is ethically problematic and medically questionable too. Technology should enhance patient control and freedom of decision, not undermine it.

The big issue that I see for the average person or treatment, is that if things go wrong, or you need to change or stop your medication for any reason, it's a much bigger deal to surgically remove your meds than it is to stop taking them. Getting an implanted meds sounds like the crappy cell phone plans: no chance to change your mind, your contract is signed and you have no way out of it for x number of years. This simply doesn't take into account that people's medical status changes and medications may need to be revised or changed at any time. Will there be reluctance to make those modifications, agree that the side effects are intolerable, etc. etc. when surgical removal is necessary for a change? Would the use of drug delivery devices be detrimental to the patient's right to withdraw from treatment, and the patient's need for adaptive treatment strategies?

The present marriage of medical and security technology and interest is fraught with risks. Yes the potential benefits to consumers are imaginable, especially for the impending seniors demographic from the "boomers" generation. But the potential for very bad scenes is huge. The profit motive that drives the industry should never be overlooked: anything that gives direct control and oversight of a vulnerable client population is, frankly, a threat to the values on which our society is founded. The industry itself should be closely monitored to ensure compliance with those values and laws.

The risks of the technology, including technical issues pointed out by Bioramani and the social, ethical and practical limits of these applications need to be hashed out thoroughly in public, for limits and regulations to be set and for the 'patients in waiting' to make informed choices.