Derek Stenquist, 2015 recipient of the Hollis L. Albright, MD ’31 Award, left; Dennis Ausiello, physician-in-chief emeritus at Massachusetts General Hospital; and Nancy Oriol, HMS dean for students, discuss the future of medicine. Image: Brown Dog Studio
Derek Stenquist, 2015 recipient of the Hollis L. Albright, MD ’31 Award, left; Dennis Ausiello, physician-in-chief emeritus at Massachusetts General Hospital; and Nancy Oriol, HMS dean for students, discuss the future of medicine. Image: Brown Dog Studio
Tomorrow’s health care will include unprecedented integration between scientific discovery and social concerns—making clinical care inseparable and indistinguishable from biomedical research. And, instead of the current model where symptoms and diseases are treated as they arise, future health care will focus on wellness and continual care.
That was the vision of the future outlined by a group of experts in research, clinical medicine and education at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals during a symposium on “The Future of Medicine,” that took place at HMS on March 1.
“It's an exciting time, whether you're a biologist or a clinician,” said Nile Albright, son of Hollis L. Albright, MD ’31, for whom the 15th annual symposium was named.
The symposium was established by Nile Albright and his sister, Tenley Albright, to honor the memory of their father who, for more than 60 years, dedicated his life to surgery, patient care and the students he mentored.
Tenley Albright, an HMS lecturer on surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, noted that the annual event is an exciting chance to see what's happening at HMS "… and to see what is going to happen in science, clinical care and education.”
In his opening remarks, HMS Dean Jeffrey S. Flier said the Albright symposium was an important event with a history of distinguished past speakers who have provided insightful previews of the future of biomedical research, education and care delivery.
“Sharing these glimpses into the humanity of our patients is one of the greatest privileges of working in medicine," — Derek Stenquist
Throughout the evening, speakers thanked Flier, who is stepping down as dean of the faculty of medicine in July, for his stewardship of the school during the past decade. They noted that the school is well-positioned to address the challenges and opportunities that lie before it at this transformational moment in time.
Flier also expressed the pleasure and pride he felt in honoring a current HMS student with the Hollis L. Albright, MD ’31 Award, which is given each year to an outstanding medical or surgical student at HMS.
This year’s recipient, Derek Stenquist, said that he was especially proud to receive an award named in honor of a father and a mentor because he personally drew so much inspiration for his work in medicine from his own parents.
Stenquist shared a story about his father, a carpenter, who once stopped work on a customer’s roof to help make breakfast for the homeowner’s child, emphasizing that, rather than being a distraction from the big picture, these seemingly small human interactions are a crucial part of any job.
In his medical training, Stenquist said the chance to share profound moments, both when discussing lifesaving medical care and when talking about the minute details of incidental personal experience, provided important opportunities to learn from patients.
“Sharing these glimpses into the humanity of our patients is one of the greatest privileges of working in medicine," Stenquist said.
Visions of integrated care
Other speakers echoed and amplified the importance of drawing connections between different elements of humanity, from genetic to social and from personal to cultural.
The evening featured keynote addresses from Dennis Ausiello, director at the Center for Assessment Technology and Continuous Health (CATCH) and physician-in-chief emeritus at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Nancy Oriol, HMS dean for students and associate professor of anaesthesia at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
George Q. Daley, Samuel E. Lux, IV Chair in Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital and HMS professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology, served as moderator for the symposium. He also gave an update on the debates surrounding new technology like CRISPR, a method of gene editing that offers great promise for curing disease but raises vexing social and ethical questions.
As we grapple with these types of challenges we must remember that, "Science serves society," Daley said.
Ausiello, who is also Jackson Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine, said that replacing episodic treatment of symptoms with continuous monitoring of integrated behavioral, social and biological data and a focus on maintaining and promoting wellness is the “next great frontier of medicine.”
"We have to build a system where patient care and clinical research are one and the same," he said.
Instead of treating sicknesses as they arise, a key goal will be to measure and promote wellness, which will require new skills, new tools, and a new, more holistic approach to medicine, he said.
Looking at the rising generation of HMS students, Oriol said she feels optimistic about the chances of meeting those challenges.
The newest cohort of students have native fluency with technology; they also have a deep understanding of the critical importance of the social determinants of health and of the society-wide interventions needed to promote wellness. She said they integrate this knowledge with deep scientific curiosity and a desire to serve with emphasis on integrity, humility and empathy.
"I see the future of medicine in the faces of my students every day,” Oriol said. “And it is a beautiful future."
