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Transformative technologies in medicine: a primer for psychiatrists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 October 2023

Neil Mayfield*
Affiliation:
Consultant in working age adult psychiatry with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust at the Princess Road Clinic, Malton, UK. He has been a principal investigator in several National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) treatment studies in people with severe mental illness (SMI).
Suzy Ker
Affiliation:
Consultant in working age adult psychiatry with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust's North-East York Community Mental Health Team at Huntingdon House, York, UK. Her research interests focus on inequalities experienced by people with SMI and the role of physical activity in helping people with SMI.
Rachel Steele
Affiliation:
Clinical librarian with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust's Library and Information Service, Lanchester Road Hospital, Durham, UK. She is interested in evidence-based practice in all aspects of healthcare.
Stephen Wright
Affiliation:
Consultant in early intervention in psychosis with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust at Huntingdon House, York, UK. He has been a principal investigator in NIHR studies of social and lifestyle interventions for psychosis and in his earlier career characterised the first mutations in the human platelet glycoprotein 9 gene.
*
Correspondence Dr Neil Mayfield. Email: neil.mayfield@nhs.net

Summary

Across medicine, key scientific advances in the past couple of decades have deepened knowledge of fundamental mechanisms of disease, leading to new treatments and the possibility of increased personalisation of care. Some of the most important developments in fields as diverse as immunology, the microbiome, genetics, stem cells and artificial intelligence are summarised in this article to raise awareness among psychiatrists and to help understand the opportunities and challenges they may present for mental healthcare in the future.

Type
Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

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