The Biomonitoring Futures Project is designed to forecast advances in disease knowledge, biomonitoring approaches and health information systems. The project will also look at their ability to reduce health disparities for cancer and diabetes as well as improving health promotion.

The Biomonitoring Futures Project is aligned in purpose with the Disparity Reducing Advances Project, a multi-year, multi-stakeholder project developed by the Institute for Alternative Futures (IAF) to identify the most promising advances for bringing health gains to the poor and underserved. The Biomonitoring Futures Project (BFP) is supported with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Background

The next decade will see dramatic advances in biomonitoring, including early indicators for cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases. In addition to advanced biomarkers, there will be new and simpler ways of testing (e.g. a “breathalyzer for cancer”, wrist watch monitors, saliva tests, and “smart toilets”). The results from these will be integrated into the electronic health record accessible by individuals and their health care providers. The Biomonitoring Futures Project, with local partners and patients, will consider design options and make recommendations for effective and affordable use of these emerging technologies in various underserved populations.

Developing a Network of Stakeholders

The Biomonitoring Futures Project is also developing a network of stakeholders, including patients, care providers, funders, and technology developers, to review the advances and determine how best to apply them. The learning from the project will also be shared and disseminated with the sponsors and partners of the larger DRA Project.

Building a Base of Knowledge

Part of the Biomonitoring Futures Project is building a base of knowledge about potential biomonitoring advances as well as the two diseases we have focused on, cancer and diabetes. The following reports are available.

BFP #1: Best Practices Background Report

This best practices report outlines the best practices in screening and disease management for diabetes and cancer of the breast, colon and lung.

BFP #2: Diabetes 2015

This report includes the current state of diabetes treatment and prevention as well as forecasts for diabetes in 2015.

BFP #3: Cancer 2015

This report summarizes recent forecasts for three common cancers (breast, colon and lung) and then explores likely developments in the treatment of cancer.

BFP #4: Biomonitoring Platform Assessment

This report reviews current and anticipated developments in various forms of testing.

BFP#5: Health Information Systems 2015

This report considers likely developments over the next decade in health information systems and includes forecasts on the state of health information systems for health care providers, for patients and for consumers of self-care in 2015.

BFP Final Report

This report summarizes the findings of the BFP project. It outlines future developments in biomonitoring and biomarker technology as well as highlighting potential opportunities for reducing health disparities.

Contact Us

These reports will be further refined during workshops with local groups and with the BFP advisory board in 2006. If you have any questions or comments on the reports, please send them to Craig Bettles at cbettles@altfutures.com.