Audacious advances to discover new treatments for psychiatric brain disorders

This may all seem like a medical “brave new world,” and perhaps a long way away. However, I believe these changes are happening at an exponential rate. It is hard to believe that common technological tools such as Google Maps, Gmail, and the smartphone first became available only a few years ago. The merging of biology and technology will have profound effects, and will be recognized as the momentous scientific achievement of the early 21st century.

Unlike clunky technologies such as electronic medical records, which have in fact made the clinician–patient experience worse, I believe that the technologies I describe above will enhance and augment the clinician–patient relationship. As health care practitioners, we need to be open to new technologies and ways of assessing and treating our patients while making sure our clinical insights and experience inform the development of these new technologies.

Let’s buckle up. Life in psychiatry is going to get more interesting than ever!