Prototyp eines digitalen Zwillings an der Schnittstelle zwischen Vorsorgewunsch des Patienten, Früherkennung und Diagnostik am Beispiel des Prostatakarzinoms

Abstract

As a result of medical and technical progress, it is possible to treat an increasing number of diseases and to improve the quality of life for many patients. Simultaneously, Germany’s demographic development towards an ageing society and the extending availability of therapeutic options will increase the demand for medical services. However, today's medicine is limited by the access of resources. As scarce commodities conflict with an increasing demand, the German healthcare system requires innovative approaches to evolve its efficiency and resilience. The deployment of “Digital Twins” for medical treatment processes as a revolutionary technology can provide a possible solution to this dilemma. It enables permanent control, monitoring and support of the treatment process by information technology. Using the example of prostate cancer prevention this paper conceptualizes how medical processes can be digitized across professions and institutions by the means of a digital process twin prototype.