Biopassport Public Health for the Current Age

It is widely argued within the medical community that public health is as important as actual treatment, if not moreso. For public health to be effective, it must adapt to the needs of the public. As the world continues to grow smaller due to increased interconnectivity, both digital and physical, so too must public health methods catch up to the standards of modern life. For effective public health measures to be taken, it is crucial that data related to health is generated and distributed in a manner that is timely and secure. Given that people are increasingly mobile, it is necessary for their data to be as well. However, data management in healthcare, and henceforth public health does not currently live up to the modern standard

Not only is this true of data management, but it is also true of traditional methods of testing as well. One of the biggest concerns during the corona outbreak was the lack of access to testing. The US currently has a high percentage of daily confirmed cases per tests administered, suggesting that there may not be enough tests being performed to sufficiently monitor the outbreak. The reasons for this are twofold. The first is the sheer lack of physical test kits being deployed. The second is that the test kits that were available were being administered in a centralized manner by medical institutions, which simply did not have the human resources nor the physical capacity to accommodate for the sudden influx of potential patients. The first point indicates the continued need for the production and distribution of physical test kits. The second point indicates that alternative models for test administration are also necessary. Though COVID-19 is the most urgent issue, it is not the only case which calls for change in the healthcare system. Other issues include current models of chronic care management. Diseases like lung cancer require early detection for effective treatment. However, radiology testing can be financially overwhelming, and repeated testing is not recommended as it can cause other health issues. Thus, a full cancer screening is usually only recommended for patients who are already categorized as “at risk,” which, without consistent testing, in some cases is unfortunately too late.