This year, the Nederlandse Vereniging van Arthroscopie (Dutch Arthroscopy Society) organised an international anniversary congress at the Huis ter Duin hotel in Noordwijk aan Zee. The event was attended by 400 orthopaedic surgeons interested in the latest developments in the area of arthroscopy. It was a two day event with various appearances by scientific speakers. The programme on the theme of ‘innovation’ featured a more practical talk this time, discussing technological developments relating to health care. This presentation was held by Danny Mekić (CEO of NewTeam and expert on technology).
During his presentation, Danny Mekić talked about the prospects of the surgical profession, discussing new scanning technologies and the applications of 3D printing. He also discussed the future of health care, including the possibilities of big data and the role of doctors in the future. Because patients can more and more often use technology to make their own diagnoses, the doctor’s role is going to change.
Although some professions are threatened by new technologies, surgeons will only become more important in the future, says Danny Mekić. “Surgeons are becoming more and more capable and more and more precise at treating patients’ problems. That requires more than just knowledge and an understanding of the human body; it’s also important for surgeons to keep up more and more with technological developments that are or could be relevant to their field.”
Danny thinks this will be an exciting time for the healthcare sector, because he expects there will be more and more need for investments intended to improve healthcare in the long run, rather than on the short term, which the management of hospitals (where the surgeons work) will need to work on. In order to use 3D printing, first we’ll need to gain more experience with it. “It’s exciting because this could end up creating tensions, or it might not.”
