
Ask HN: An engineer's perspective on healthcare - rangerunseen
Hi all,<p>I&#x27;m a long-time HN lurker, and I need some advice. I&#x27;ve just finished my undergrad in Electrical Engineering, with specializations in CS and Biomedical engineering. I want to spend two or so years in the industry, and then probably do a PhD or an MBA.<p>I&#x27;ve always been passionate about poverty alleviation and as a core component of that, healthcare. The problem is, I&#x27;m not sure how to go about applying my broad educational background in an effective manner: I can potentially work in biomedical devices, or I can do things more Computer Science&#x2F;machine learning related in healthcare, or perhaps even in some other softer&#x2F;less technical manner. I&#x27;m not sure what I should pivot myself towards, and I&#x27;m trying to solve that question.<p>Before I can figure out where I want to go (any advice on this is welcome as well!), I need to update my knowledge of the healthcare system. I was wondering if people have any recommendations on: 
    1) Books with a general overview of the healthcare system, focusing on US but perhaps with some excursions into global healthcare.
    2) Books from an <i>engineer&#x27;s perspective</i> on the healthcare industry, or something that covers predictions on the future of healthcare, including avenues of technical&#x2F;healthcare innovation and legal&#x2F;structural changes.<p>I know there are a lot of books out there about healthcare, but a lot of them seem to be about certain very specific issues, and not a general introduction. This book (http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.wiley.com&#x2F;WileyCDA&#x2F;WileyTitle&#x2F;productCd-1118971086.html), for example, seems to be a type of book I&#x27;m looking for, but I can&#x27;t find any review of this one anywhere online. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations?<p>Thanks a bunch.
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tcj_phx
Healthcare is corrupted by the influence of industry. There is a very good
article on [http://www.mises.org](http://www.mises.org) called "100 years of
medical robbery" that covers how the status quo of medical thought was
established. There are some follow ups by the same author; also check his
references. Mr. Griffin (iirc) has a video on YouTube about the
industrialists' strategy for influencing medical schools' curriculum.

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spraak
I'm sorry that I don't have any good advice for you but I do hope that someone
here can help you.

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rangerunseen
Are you by any chance involved in the medical/healthcare field at all? I'd
guess not, but thanks for the concern!

