In the second chapter of their book, The Digital Pill: What Everyone Should Know about the Future of Our Healthcare System, the authors Prof. Dr. Elgar Fleisch, Christoph Franz, and Prof. Dr. Andreas Herrmann review how non-communicable diseases are spreading around the world.

In the Twenty-First Century, healthcare costs have risen across the globe due to health insurance companies covering an increasing array of treatments, now amounting to about ten percent of global GDP. While this is a positive development for patients in regard to treatment options, this  also places an increasing financial burden on patients, as well as on governments who often have to finance part of these healthcare costs. The authors highlight that “around the world, the cost of healthcare is rising significantly faster than GDP (pp. 29).” This can lead to parts of a population being uninsured or struggling to cover their other expenses due to high healthcare bills.

Despite improved treatments, chronic conditions have become the most common cause of death worldwide. The authors highlight examples of healthcare costs in several North American and European countries, as well as the status quo in Asian and African countries. One additional challenge faced by several developing nations lies in the fact that they are tackling both infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases.

This book chapter provides an overview of the most common non-communicable diseases and shines a light on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Would you like to learn more about the topic of healthcare? The English version of the book, “The Digital Pill: What Everyone Should Know about the Future of Our Healthcare System“ is available online and in book shops (reference below).

Reference:
Fleisch, E., Franz, C. and Herrmann, A. (2021). The Digital Pill: What Everyone Should Know about the Future of Our Healthcare System, Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley (UK). ISBN: 978-1-78756-676-7. doi.org: 10.1108/978-1-78756-675-020211015