Health Tech Needs Science

Shaan Puri shares his perspective on health tech innovations, particularly expressing cautious skepticism about new health screening technologies while acknowledging their potential value. He emphasizes the importance of scientific validation and established medical practices.

Key Points:

• Approach to New Health Tech:

  • Hesitant to endorse health technologies without understanding the underlying science
  • Maintains a "Theranos 6th sense" - natural skepticism toward bold medical claims
  • Prefers tried and trusted medical tests over newer, unproven methods

• Views on Full Body Scans:

  • Has personally tried full body MRI scans
  • Acknowledges potential benefits as several people found health issues through scans
  • Estimates suggest 1 in 20-30 people find something through these scans
  • Remains cautious about making definitive claims about effectiveness

• Preference for Established Methods:

  • More confident in traditional executive checkups and standard medical tests
  • Values the "Lindy effect" - tests that have been around longer and are widely accepted
  • Believes established methods have gone through proper testing and validation

• Future of Health Monitoring:

  • Predicts that in 50-100 years, not knowing your body's health metrics will seem primitive
  • Compares it to historical developments like the elimination of smoking sections in restaurants
  • Believes continuous health monitoring will become standard practice

• Personal Approach:

  • Chooses to be careful before endorsing health technologies
  • Emphasizes importance of understanding limitations and validity of new health tech
  • Maintains balanced view between innovation and scientific validation