When it comes to the human health market, similar products have gained in popularity. These are known for measuring simple parameters such as movement, heart rate, and body temperature. In addition, these devices keep tabs on food intake. They will make recommendations based on appropriate behavioral responses. For instance, these devices will inform diabetic patients about requirements for glucose or insulin.
New devices with the capability of measuring other important parameters will soon be available. In the veterinary field, cattle can be fitted with movement sensors to identify the onset of estrus. Similar technology will no doubt become available for other species, including pigs. At present, these sensors are quite expensive, especially for routine usage. Special efforts are being made to produce low-cost versions of the technology that would make them more accessible to farming operations.
This process will emulate the rapid decrease in the cost of genome analysis, resulting in possible developments of custom-made medicines in animals and human patients. Apart from identifying individuals with genotypes that may make them more or less vulnerable to the effects of specific drugs, professionals will also carry out genomic analyses on microbiome samples from the skin, gut, and other sites to evaluate which disease-causing organisms may exist in the patient’s body. There have been speculations on whether these approaches will ultimately lead to a reduction in the demand for antibiotics.
Advancements in monitoring technologies will similarly lead to challenges in processing and applying the available data. It is believed that doctors will have access to 200 times more data than the human mind can process. Consequently, another priority is the development of artificial intelligence software that analyzes this mass of information and draws precise conclusions about its meaning.