GHCE Concept

From the preface of the book Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artificial Intelligence, Edited by Frank Boehm:

Since the publication of my first book (Nanomedical Device and Systems Design: Challenges, Possibilities, Visions – CRC Press, 2013), it became increasingly evident that synergies between the concurrently rapid advances in nanotechnology and nanomedicine in conjunction with the recent exponential progress in artificial intelligence (AI) would likely facilitate the capacity to actualize three envisaged global scale paradigm shifting technology platforms. Thus, I endeavored to explore these possibilities through the simultaneous generation of what I consider to be a set of three companion books. The rationale is that I believe these applications will be inextricably linked.

This volume, Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artificial Intelligence, delves into the potential emergence of an envisaged equitable, cost-effective, non-monopolizable, globally distributed/decentralized AI/QC-driven healthcare system, which would operate on safe/secure nested quantum encrypted blockchains. With the attainment of mature Global Health Care Equivalency (GHCE), which may well be significantly expedited when advanced AI (and soon enough the emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI)) are coupled with quantum computation (QC):

we can envisage a future world where any individual on the planet has access to the same advanced and cost effective nanomedical diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, no matter how wealthy or impoverished they are, no matter where they happen to reside, or under what conditions they live. Progress toward this goal will be incremental, with each successive wave of nanomedical technologies being more advanced than the previous wave.

Multiple nascent iterations, operational/efficacy trials, and the beta testing of GHCE will be driven by further advances in 3D printing. Increasingly robust telemedical infrastructures will begin to progressively transition many of the common health concerns of patients (as well as healthy individuals) to be resolved by various nanomedical means in their own homes. These early developmental stages might be guided by readily accessible top-tier online physicians on demand, and/or potentially, formally certified medical AI agents that have been granted access (by patients and/or their caregivers) to comprehensive knowledge of their medical histories, data, and specific needs. These medical personnel would initially be approved to prescribe only certain medicines at specific dosages, which could be safely fabricated in a patient’s dwelling using envisaged countertop microwave-sized appliances referred to as Factory at Home (F@H) systems.

The feedstocks for F@H systems may initially be comprised of the full range of chemical constituents required to synthesize basic medicines, as well as amino acids for the fabrication of therapeutic peptides. With further technological advances, standardized nanoparticles of various species might serve as F@H feedstocks, which are then custom functionalized, replete with targeting molecules, to generate a dynamic range of high precision diagnostic, therapeutic, and theranostic nanoparticles to address myriad conditions (from colds to cancers). More advanced iterations of F@H would rely on molecular and atomic feedstocks to enable the fabrication of molecular/atomic resolution (passive and semi-autonomous) nanodevices that integrate nanoelectronics, sensing, communications, and computational capacities. Finally, the feedstocks of mature F@H systems would be comprised of pristine atomic species that enable the molecular manufacturing (MM) of autonomous nanomedical robots (~Ø1 μm) at atomic resolution that are endowed with further capabilities (e.g., propulsion, navigation, and a full armamentarium of cell repair instrumentation).

A robust, massively decentralized healthcare system would, for the most part, render hospitals and clinics obsolete. Exceptions would, of course, be those required to accommodate maternity and pediatric needs, address emergency trauma cases, pandemic responses, large-scale mass casualties from natural disasters, extreme weather events, or due to anthropogenic conflicts. Broken bones, serious injuries, burns, etc. would still require triaged care. That said, most common ailments, and even more serious diseases, such as cancers, might be eradicated via envisioned domestically (F@H) fabricated autonomous sentinel class nanomedical devices (Domschke and Boehm, 2018), which would significantly augment the human immune system against all “non-self” bacterial and viral pathogens, as well as toxic agents. This would significantly reduce the need to ever visit a hospital or clinic for treatment (except for emergencies… albeit even many of these might also be rapidly addressed in the future by sufficiently sophisticated legions of autonomous nanorobots that continuously reside within the human body (in dwell mode) until instantaneously activated via a perceived inflicted trauma).

Additionally, most age-correlated ailments might be negated, as aging itself would be addressed by specialized classes of autonomous nanomedical devices that continually monitor the body for/manage atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, as well as any inflammation, or myopathy. The prerequisite technology platform and tipping point toward mature GHCE will arrive with the emergence of hypothetical (for now) molecular manufacturing (MM); the topic of my second book, Molecular Manufacturing: The Future of Nanomedicine (Boehm, CRC Press, 2025). It is envisaged that MM may enable the cost-effective domestic fabrication of the advanced autonomous nanomedical devices described above, exemplars of which I articulate in my first book.

The third book in this series, Nanomedical Brain/Cloud Interface: Explorations and Implications (Boehm, Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP), 2025), explores how a hypothetical (for now) nanomedically enabled brain/cloud interface (B/CI) may endow us with capacities to instantaneously access the full breadth of human knowledge, significantly enhance our ability to learn, and enable ultrahigh resolution fully sensorial immersive experiences (including the episodic inhabitation of any other consenting participant on the planet), while empowering us to keep pace/integrate with AI. Consequently, this technology platform may, in effect, facilitate even further enhancements/efficacies for MM and GHCE, which from the author’s perspective would close the loop. This, as each of these three technology platforms would likely synergistically cross-pollinate; all with the innate capacity to reciprocate. Ultimately, the broad tech-trusted acceptance and ubiquitous implementation of a mature B/CI may be nothing less than the next evolutionary step for humanity, one where we seamlessly merge with our technologies.

To be realistic and clear, since GHCE would constitute such a truly massive and multifaceted paradigm shifting undertaking, it could not be expected to suddenly magically supplant current (2025) medical and healthcare paradigms and infrastructures. Rather, it might inspire and herald the emergence of a significant evolutionary leap, or indeed, revolution in medicine and healthcare, wherein medical personnel, as well as medical device and pharmaceutical infrastructures, remain engaged, albeit playing different roles. This, with the aim of significantly enhancing the quality and personalization of healthcare for all of humanity, which would concomitantly be of immense benefit planetwide.

It may be the case that GHCE rolls out via disparate scenarios, or the combination of multiples. On one hand, since big pharma (for instance) and other large corporations already have enormous manufacturing infrastructures in place, they might initially be repurposed to generate and supply the molecular/atomic feedstocks required to synthesize myriad diagnostic and therapeutic compounds and functionalized nanoparticles via F@H systems (which themselves would need to be manufactured), not only for their existing customer bases worldwide, but also to serve practically everyone on the planet. They may also be engaged with and have a stake in the initial development of various classes of nanomedical devices (passive, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous), which would subsequently be fabricated domestically in a massively distributed/decentralized manner.

Due to the globally decentralized molecular manufacturing (MM) (via F@H systems) of nanomedicines, and further downstream, autonomous nanomedical robotics, the centralized control and monopolies over drugs and healthcare would eventually fade to obsolescence. Ultimately, Recykl@Home (R@H) systems would emerge with the capacity to disassemble all manner of household wastes down to their atomic constituents, which would then be recycled/repackaged as pristine atomic feedstocks to continuously resupply the F@H/molecular manufacturing units. This would close the loop.

Some may hold the view that big pharma, health insurance, huge medical device and medical equipment conglomerates, hospitals, etc. primarily operate on the premise of maximizing bottom line profits, or institute cultural paradigms of profit above all else, which appear unlikely to change. We shall see. Things inexorably do transform, perhaps induced by the unseen energies of quantum entangled alchemy, changes of heart, of conscience, or otherwise.

GHCE might well initially roll out in the real world (spanning a certain temporal domain) as a further extension and coalescing of/advancement in-home healthcare; expanding on conventional telemedicine, domestic healthcare robotics, 3D printing, etc. Once the advantages of increasingly distributed, decentralized, and personalized GHCE become increasingly evident, relevant and practical for the benefit of patients, communities, and finally entire populations who become more deeply engaged with it, a critical mass threshold is likely be attained and exceeded, after which all manner of (perceived as outdated) paradigms will begin to fall away.

“Although the attainment of GHCE would indeed be a truly extraordinary achievement, we must keenly recognize that in reality, such a massive undertaking on a global scale will require intense and sustained high spirited collaboration between like minded individuals who have widely varied backgrounds within diverse areas of expertise. Highly specialized laboratories, dynamic administrative institutions, regulatory bodies, and government agencies worldwide will also be vital prerequisites for its realization, as will significant resources and time. We are all amazing individuals, each with our own unique talents and expertise that might contribute and be applied to this noble enterprise. Our working together might culminate in a positive critical mass on a global scale toward the actual realization of GHCE, which would ultimately be of benefit for each and every one of us, as we are finally “all” supported in our natural human right of optimal health for life.”

Frank J. Boehm, NanoApps Medical, 2025

It is hoped that the prospective concepts herein may inspire others downstream to cumulatively create a critical mass of focused intention toward the potential realization of Global Health Care Equivalency for the benefit of humankind and the planet.

Domschke A, Boehm FJ. Chapter 19: “The “Sentinel”: A Conceptual Nanomedical Strategy for the Enhancement of the Human Immune System. In Immune Aspects of Biopharmaceuticals and Nanomedicines. Bawa R., Szebeni J., Webster TJ, Audette GF. (eds.), Singapore: Pan Stanford. 2018.

https://www.crcpress.com/Immune-Effects-of-Biopharmaceuticals-and-Nanomedicines/BawaSzebeni-Webster-Audette/p/book/9789814774529