The Creative Destruction of Medicine

“An illuminating perspective on the coming digitization of health care.”

“Readable and comprehensive… Dr. Topol dispenses in short order with our current population‑based medical strategies. They are wasteful and inexact, he points out, often marginally beneficial to the group and downright harmful to the individual. He presents an array of far better ideas, a few now actually being practiced in rudimentary form.” 

“Topol blasts current‑day medicine as being archaic and wasteful, making his case with a compelling blend of statistics, anecdotes, and barbs aimed at health care’s Ancient Régime.”

“Eric Topol provides a… look at why medicine is about to be ‘Schumpeterised’ (his word) by digital technology. This book is a godsend for those who suffer from Armageddon fatigue. It also reminds us that technology keeps improving despite economic gloom.”

“The Creative Destruction of Medicine should be required reading by all physicians and in all medical schools. It is simply that good.” 

“As an introduction for the lay reader to the sophisticated digital technology now being applied to medical care, and as an explanation of the rapidly advancing science of medical genetics and the new revelations from the sequencing of the human genome, Topol’s book is a tour de force.”

“Topol’s enthusiasm for the possibilities of what the future holds is infectious.”

“Topol demonstrates how the digital revolution can be used to change individual care and prevention, and even the economics of American healthcare.”

“The digital age opens up the possibility of a new type of medicine in which an individual’s health data are digitized using wearable sensors, smartphone apps and genome information, writes geneticist and cardiologist Eric Topol. With this wealth of data, medical interventions could be tailored to our uniqueness. Topol covers failures in patient information; what might happen if genomics, imaging, sensors and better health information were to converge; and the potential pitfalls of this brave new medical world.”

“The book is an enjoyable, high‑level review….with its rich discussion of science and technology and companies. . . this book certainly has contemporary relevance.” 

“Topol weaves useful knowledge about how to evaluate the choices open to patients into this exciting account of the revolutionary changes we can expect.”

“An enthralling and important book.”

“Dr. Eric Topol is an extraordinary doctor. He’s started a leading medical school, identified the first genes to underlie development of heart disease, led major medical centers, and been a pioneer of wireless medicine. But he is also a remarkable communicator – one of the few top‑flight scientists in medicine to be able to genuinely connect with the public. He was, for example, the first physician researcher to question the safety of Vioxx – and unlike most who raise safety questions, actually succeed in bringing the concerns to public attention. I have known and admired Dr. Topol for a long time. I recommend him highly.”

“What happens when the super‑convergence of smart phones further combines with million‑fold lower‑cost genomics and diverse wearable sensors? The riveting answer leads compellingly to a call to activism – not only for medical care providers, but all patients and everyone looking for the next ‘disruptive’ economic revolution. This future is closer than most of us would have imagined before seeing it laid out so clearly. A must‑read.”