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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →In an October 3, 2023, Forbes article, Bernard Marr forecast ten healthcare trends he expected to matter in 2024. His list combined emerging technologies with broader shifts in care, including prevention, support for older people and closer integration of mental and physical healthcare. It is a forecast, not a verified ranking of what happened in 2024 or a guide to what is routine care today. Read Marr’s original article.
Technology trends Marr included in his 2024 forecast
Marr’s first five trends focus on tools that could change how care is developed, delivered or modeled. The examples below describe the possibilities he outlined; they should not be read as proof that a technology is safe, effective or widely available for patients.
1. Generative AI in healthcare
Marr anticipated that generative AI could be used in medicine development, patient treatment, synthetic data for training algorithms, and chatbots or virtual assistants that interact with people at different points in the patient journey. Those are proposed applications, not evidence of clinical benefit or reliable performance in any particular setting.
2. Personalized medicine
The forecast described tailoring treatment plans to individuals, with genomics and AI analysis of DNA as examples associated with precision medicine. It did not quantify outcomes or establish that genetic analysis is appropriate for every patient. A personalized approach is an aim, not a guarantee of a better result.
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3. Virtual healthcare assistants
Marr suggested that digital assistants might support clinicians with treatment, diagnosis and medication information, and help patients by answering questions, interacting with electronic health records, scheduling appointments or sending care reminders. These are potential roles, not an endorsement of a specific assistant or a substitute for professional judgment.
4. Digital twins
A digital twin is a virtual model of a real-world system. Marr discussed possible models of devices, hospitals, organs or even the human body, which could be used to simulate how a system might behave. His article presents these as modeling applications and research aspirations; it does not document a clinically validated digital twin for an individual patient.
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5. Connected care and “telemedicine 2.0”
Marr used “telemedicine 2.0” to describe remote care that combines telemedicine with connected devices and wearables. One example was a virtual hospital ward in which a central hub monitors several people receiving care at home. The forecast does not name a device or service, or establish that a consumer wearable is a clinical monitor.
Care-system shifts in the forecast
The other five trends concern what healthcare prioritizes and how it is organized. Marr connected them to pressures such as longer lives and the need to move beyond care that responds only after a problem appears.
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6. Preventive healthcare
The article described a shift toward proactive care through exercise, wellness and immunizations. Marr proposed that AI and wearable technology could help identify early warning signs and support intervention. He supplied no attributable outcome statistic, so the forecast does not show how much these approaches reduce illness or healthcare spending.
7. Virtual and augmented reality
Marr described virtual reality (VR) as an emerging tool for chronic pain management and augmented reality (AR) as a way to display digital information for surgeons while they work. He also mentioned wound assessment. These are examples in his forecast, not a quantified comparison with other approaches or proof of routine clinical use.
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8. Support for older people
The forecast linked aging populations with rising demand for later-life support. It discussed solutions that could help older adults remain at home, alongside research into diseases associated with older age, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The article did not specify a particular care model or measure the effects of these solutions.
9. 3D printing, from devices to possible organs
Marr described additive manufacturing for tools, medical devices, orthopedic and dental implants, and prosthetics. He also pointed to research into printing organs using a patient’s own tissue. The distinction matters: the article describes applications such as devices and prosthetics separately from printed organs, which it presents as a research possibility.
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10. Integrating mental and physical healthcare
Marr argued for less siloed care and a more integrated approach to mental and physical health. His article does not specify a delivery model or report an outcome measure, so this is best understood as a direction for healthcare organization rather than a defined intervention.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the forecast does—and does not—tell patients and households
The ten items are not all at the same stage. Some are framed as possible practical uses, while others—such as a digital twin of a person or a printed organ for transplant—are described as modeling or research aspirations. The Forbes article is an authored outlook published in 2023; it does not verify which predictions materialized or establish the current availability, clinical status, price or insurance coverage of any technology.
For readers weighing healthcare choices or costs, the list is a set of areas to watch, not a reason on its own to buy a device, choose a treatment or assume a service will be covered. Marr names no wearable product, provider or price, and the article supplies no cost or outcome figures. Check the details of a specific service or treatment with the relevant clinician, provider and insurer.
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