Touchstone Health Sciences was originally intended to educate fellow physicians in the use of treatments largely ignored by established medical education. Over the pandemic years it became increasingly clear that many physicians and patients were completely unaware of some of the most promising scientific advances in medicine, not because they lack evidence but because they exist outside the traditional insurance-based healthcare model.
Most doctors practice within the boundaries of what insurance companies routinely cover, allowing insurance guidelines to shape much of modern medical practice. However, this has also created a situation where entire categories of well-studied therapies may remain unfamiliar or underutilized simply because they are not reimbursed by insurance plans. In many cases, treatments become labeled “alternative” not because they are ineffective, but because they fall outside the financial structure of conventional healthcare coverage.
Dr. Jackson intended for this website to be an educational resource for physicians who wanted to learn about the emerging fields of Longevity and regenerative medicine, including the use of nutraceuticals, peptides, and exosomes (also called mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles). Despite a growing body of scientific evidence supporting their use, these therapies are rarely discussed during formal medical training because they are not yet “covered” by standard health insurance.
However, as this project progressed, Dr. Jackson began to realize that patients themselves were often the ones bringing these therapies to the attention of their physicians. That realization changed the purpose of this website, and Touchstone Health Sciences evolved into a public educational platform designed to help both patients and physicians better understand these emerging therapies. Our goal is not to replace your physician, but to help create more informed and productive conversations between patients and the healthcare professionals they trust.
For that reason, the information throughout this site is intentionally organized in layers. Some readers may want a simple overview, while others may want to explore the clinical reasoning, mechanisms of action, or even read the scientific studies behind a treatment. As you move through the site, the explanations gradually increase in depth and complexity so each reader can research a topic to the level of detail they choose.
Treatment information has also been made printable so patients can take it to their next office visit to help facilitate discussion and collaboration with their physician regarding what treatments might be most beneficial for their individual needs. Medicine has always evolved through curiosity, education, and the willingness to reconsider what is possible.
Our hope is that this website empowers patients to become informed participants in their own care while also helping physicians discover new tools that may improve the lives of the people they serve. If a conversation that begins here leads to a physician learning something new, then that knowledge may ultimately benefit countless patients far beyond the one who first asked the question. That possibility is why this website exists.
