[Column] Comprehensive Integrated Medicine for a Super Aging Society

[Column] Comprehensive Integrated Medicine for a Super Aging Society - Meta Medicine

Mar 20, 2024, 10:28 am

Opening of the New Era of the Future Healthcare

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Dr. Soon-Yong Kwon

By Dr. Soon-Yong Kwon, President of the Korean Society of Geriatrics and Musculoskeletal Medicine

Integrated medicine, a promising approach to holistic care, is undergoing a groundbreaking transformation as it intersects with the cutting-edge advancements of the smart healthcare era. This evolution has given rise to Meta-Medicine (MM), a revolutionary paradigm that transcends the boundaries of integrated medicine. MM empowers a new era of patient-centered healthcare by seamlessly merging patient-focused providers, intelligent devices, and diverse medical practices within a hyper-connected ecosystem.

The concept of Meta-Medicine was coined by Dr. Soon-Yong Kwon, President of the Korean Society of Geriatrics and Musculoskeletal Medicine, following a symposium on integrated medicine for a super-aging society held at the National Assembly. The symposium brought together general practitioners and Hanbang medicine doctors to discuss how general and oriental medicine can be integrated to better prepare for the rapidly approaching super-aging society. Dr. Kwon synthesized these diverse opinions to formulate the innovative concept of Meta-Medicine.

In his keynote speech at the symposium, Dr. Kwon emphasized that integrated medicine should function like a sports team, with each member contributing their expertise to create synergy. He stressed that building smart teams is more important than simply creating smart doctors.

Dr. Sa-Jung Yun, a Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Johns Hopkins University who was invited as a key speaker at the symposium, also emphasized that implementing Meta-Medicine, which goes beyond integrated Hanbang and general medicine, is the path to smart healthcare. To achieve this, Dr. Yun argued that digital twins will evolve into a platform that facilitates the scientific advancement of oriental medicine and its integration with general medicine.

While smart healthcare has opened new frontiers in medical advancements, many diseases remain challenging to address with conventional medicine alone. Conditions like depression and sleep disorders demand solutions that go beyond symptom management and address potential side effects.

By integrating digital therapeutics (smartphone-driven monitoring and personalized treatment) with the time-tested wisdom of Hanbang (Korean traditional medicine), Meta-Medicine unlocks the potential for symptom relief and fundamental healing. This integrated approach is particularly relevant in fields like orthopedics, where elderly patients seek guidance on recovery and rehabilitation using both conventional and Hanbang-based methods.

Dr. Kwon recognizes the limitations of integrated medicine alone. He advocates for a healthcare evolution where all available medical solutions work together as a single team - the core principle of Meta-Medicine.

MM revolutionizes healthcare by integrating cutting-edge technologies (AI, human digital twins, big data, 5G, cloud computing) with Hanbang, alternative medicine, health functional foods, exercise, and lifestyle consulting. This holistic approach addresses the growing demand for personalized treatment of complex and chronic conditions.

Unlike China's Zhongyi or Japan's Kanpo, Korea's Hanbang tradition offers a distinct perspective on the interconnectedness of the human body, emphasizing balance, harmony, and individualized care. Hanbang, with its rich history and empirical knowledge, provides a comprehensive understanding of the human body and its interconnectedness. This approach emphasizes the importance of balance, harmony, and individualized treatment plans.

Both integrated medicine and its successor, meta-medicine, emphasize holistic care and personalized treatment. In these approaches, patients benefit from the collaboration of various healthcare providers, including general practitioners, Hanbang medicine doctors, and other specialists.

However, for integrated and meta-medicine to reach their full potential, insurance coverage plays a critical role. Patients should be able to receive insurance coverage for their treatment based on their specific symptoms and conditions, regardless of whether they see a general practitioner, Hanbang medicine doctor, or other healthcare provider within the integrated or meta-medicine framework.

Meta-medicine finds its genesis in the groundbreaking concept of "Meta Industry". This visionary approach signifies the revolutionary transformation of existing medical systems by integrating 4th Industrial Revolution technologies and innovative economic concepts into the healthcare sector. Pioneered by Professor Choi Jae-Boong of Sungkyunkwan University, the meta-industry encompasses the convergence of existing industries with 4th Industrial Revolution technologies (big data, AI, robots, and IoT) and new economic paradigms (metaverse, NFT, and cryptocurrencies), including the entertainment industry, to redefine and explore new possibilities.

Meta-Medicine represents a promising future for healthcare, where diverse medical traditions and technologies work in concert to deliver optimal, patient-centered outcomes.

#Meta Medicine #Super Aging Society #Integrated Medicine