Effects of consumer demand on healthcare service product supply and access

Nanomedicine

The healthcare field is certainly a tricky topic to discuss, considering that it is riddled with debates regarding things like insurance, pharmaceutical use and the safety of many medical procedures. However, in the last ten years, the field of biotechnology has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of healthcare and economics. Several groundbreaking innovations have been made that have rattled the pre-existing constructs of these vital fields. Topics like laser surgeries and stem cell reproduction have become regular parts of every citizen's vocabulary, yet they still seem to been engulfed in quite a bit of controversy. Nevertheless, the lifesaving potential of these revolutionary endeavors cannot be overlooked. In fact, this massive potential has given way to the revolutionary amalgamation of nanotechnology and medicine: a field that is now referred to as nanomedicine. Research in this field is currently being conducted with some radical goals in mind. Most notably, the latest nanomedicine research is in the field of cancer treatment . The premise of the majority of this pioneering research lies in the creation of what are called nanobots. These microscopic devices closely resemble an average human blood cell. However, nanobots are actually tiny computerized robots that have been designed to systematically target and destroy cancerous (or other disease-infected) cells and increase the functioning of the body's organs and systems . In effect, these devices are ultra-powerful white blood cells. Once again, the thought of injecting microscopic robots into the human body is a theme that is steeped in controversy, yet the potential for cancer (and other diseases) diminishment and life extension is certainly remarkable.

With the ceaseless and unquestionably groundbreaking possibilities associated with this revolutionary technological research, the goals are quite clear (that is, the problem that researchers are attempting to solve is quite clear). The countless terminal diseases (particularly cancer) that strike the world today are certainly the culprits. By simply being able to technologically cure such ailments from external locations; the world's population would surely live longer and more peaceful lives. In fact, the United Nations recently projected that the world population will reach 10 billion by the year 2100, with an average life expectancy of 81 . What is more, expenditures on healthcare, pharmaceuticals and medical procedures would diminish. Presumably, this would allow global citizens to apply greater efforts and funds towards the numerous other problems facing our planet. The current healthcare structures of numerous countries continue to be a source of political headache and the manipulative and often abusive tactics of the pharmaceutical industry are definitely monstrous. Thus, with the global reach and the extremely wide scope of problems present in this field(s), this research is unquestionably relevant and should certainly be pursued.

Though due to the controversial nature of this research arena, several large companies are hesitant to publicly invest in this kind of research. Nevertheless, many companies have awarded private grants to numerous universities that are currently conducting nanomedicine research. Several highly acclaimed university research facilities have already begun research in this area. Such prestigious institutions include: John Hopkins University, University of California at Berkeley, Oxford University and the University of London, which became a frontrunner in this field of research when they created "The Nanomedicine Laboratory." Many of these progressive institutions have received substantial nanomedicine research grants from companies like Pfizer, Merck and even Google . This influx of funding has intensely increased upon the publications of nanomedicine's applications regarding cancer treatment.

The methods used by researchers in the field of nanomedicine closely resemble those used by pharmaceutical researchers when creating and testing new drugs. However, as one might assume, technological devices and gadgetry are much more involved in nanomedicine laboratories. That is, nanomedicine research teams are often comprised of researchers from the fields of biology, medicine and technology. The initial process is technologically intensive in that technology professionals are tasked with the assignment of designing and constructing not only the nanobots themselves, but also the applicable software for the purposes of the specific research objective. In many cases, medical and biological professionals are required to educate themselves in the field of biotechnology and software so that they can assist in the process of creating functional software programs. Once a functional nanobot design is constructed it is then tested in blood samples (first healthy blood and then infected blood) from lab rats, chimpanzees and humans. These tests typically monitor responsiveness and speed. Finally, if the nanobots pass these critical test stages, they are then injected into living lab rats. Upon their injection, the nanobots are technologically engaged and monitored for responsiveness, speed, rejection rate, and applicability with reference to the desired objective. Ultimately, several studies have already been published showing the effectiveness of nanobots in killing diseases like diabetes and cancer in lab rats (Pickup, Zhi, Khan, Saxl, & Birch, 2008; Trafton, 2010).