Building Bridges: Xprize, XMed and Humanizing Healthcare 

Frank Fitzpatrick 11/13/2017

I have long been interested in health and wellbeing, from a number of perspectives: as the son of an old-school pediatrician, producer of programs on mind/body practices, advocate for holistic and alternative therapies, and shape shifter of human emotions exercised through a career in film and music.

Since my first Executive Program with Singularity University in 2011, a couple things have become clear to me:

• Some of the greatest opportunities for change and advancement in Exponential Technology are in health and human performance.
• We need to continue to build the bridge between the design and deployment of new technologies and the Technologies of Emotion – focusing on human beings and cultivating a resonating and meaningful human experience.
• One of the greatest growing needs in an exponentially-changing world, is for the development of skills and resources that help people find equanimity and connection in the midst of change and disruption.

With Technology, health care, and problem solving in general, it is easy to lose track of the end goal: to help people create a higher quality of life and richer human experience.  Fortunately, there are a growing number of voices and current trends working to remind us.

In 2014, I presented my first workshop, the 3M Revolution, at the Exponential Medicine Conference: Singularity University’s summit that addresses solutions for the world’s greatest health challenges, using the aid of exponential technologies.  Founder Daniel Kraft asked me to deliver an overview on what the medical world then categorized as alternative therapeutics – things like meditation, mind/body practices, music, mindset and movement. To me, and many of my colleagues, these are primary and foundational practices at the heart of creating and maintaining a balanced, healthy and fulfilling life.  Our role, is to build a bridge that integrates the multiple intelligences – from ancient wisdom to the latest in neuroscience and technologies – so we can create new cross-disciplined and holistic paradigms for wellbeing.

At this year’s conference, there was a common sentiment for further humanizing treatments and solutions, as breakthroughs in new technologies create amazing opportunities for helping humanity live better, longer, healthier lives.

I had the opportunity to speak on one of my favorite subjects: Music and Health. Music is one form of higher intelligence (according to Gardner and Beethoven) and a scientifically proven therapy that can be integrated with some of the most advanced treatments to create more effective and resonating experiences for patients, caregivers and communities. It also helps address some of the biggest healthcare challenges.

Two of those challenges were spotlighted last week with the creation of the Cancer Xprize and the Alzheimers Xprize. Music provides a powerful resource for supporting many of the basic human needs in the process, ultimately creating a higher quality of life for, and deeper relationships between, the patients, caregivers and their loved ones. We have already developed a number of integrated therapies and effective music-based solutions for supporting the prevention and treatment of these devastating diseases.

While we still have a ways to go to get everyone to work together – to embrace the power of solutions beyond their own field of work, I come away from my week at Exponential Medicine with greater hope that we can and will fulfill the vision of a more compassionate, healthier, and happier society.  I am also inspired by the opportunity to collaborate with the bold and brilliant minds creating exponential solutions for these Xprize’s, to further explore ways to integrate humanistic and holistic experiences into the design of new prevention and treatment models.