Improving disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment using novel bionic technologies

Increased human life expectancy, due in part to improvements in infant and childhood survival, more active lifestyles, in combination with higher patient expectations for better health outcomes, is leading to an extensive change in the number, type and manner in which health conditions are treated. Over the next decades as the global population rapidly progresses toward a super-aging society, meeting the long-term quality of care needs is forecast to present a major healthcare challenge. The goal is to ensure longer periods of good health, a sustained sense of well-being, with extended periods of activity, social engagement, and productivity. To accomplish these goals, multifunctionalized interfaces are an indispensable component of next generation medical technologies. The development of more sophisticated materials and devices as well as an improved understanding of human disease is forecast to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of conditions ranging from osteoarthritis to Alzheimer's disease and will impact disease prevention. This review examines emerging cutting-edge bionic materials, devices and technologies developed to advance disease prevention, and medical care and treatment in our elderly population including developments in smart bandages, cochlear implants, and the increasing role of artificial intelligence and nanorobotics in medicine.

Good practice guidelines for clinical psychologists working in paediatric cochlear implant teams

There are relatively few clinical psychologists working in paediatric cochlear implant centres in the UK and in this respect we lag behind other countries such as the USA and The Netherlands. In an effort to promote the added value our profession can offer teams, the clinical psychologists working in paediatric CI centres have put together good practice guidelines. This article outlines the rationale for putting together the guidelines, highlights the unique contribution clinical psychologists can offer, outlines the evidence base for psychological input in this clinical population, and offers a fictional case study for illustration.