This brief healthcare policy guide explores how the convergence of quantum technology (QT) and artificial intelligence (AI) could revolutionize precision medicine, offering hyper-personalized treatments and innovative solutions to longstanding healthcare challenges. Second-generation (2G) quantum technologies leverage quantum mechanical phenomena like superposition and entanglement to solve problems beyond the reach of classical methods. By integrating quantum and classical computing, “quantum-classical hybrids” can improve drug discovery, optimize healthcare operations, enhance medical imaging, and facilitate personalized medicine design.

The article describes 2G quantum technology healthcare use cases, categorized per quantum domain. Potential applications include using quantum simulations to model complex biological systems, accelerating drug development by predicting drug-protein interactions, and employing quantum dots for targeted gene and drug delivery, which can help treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and certain cancers. Quantum sensors can enable real-time health monitoring with exceptional precision, while quantum cryptography provides robust data protection methods—essential for safeguarding patient information under regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.

However, these breakthroughs also raise ethical, legal, socio-economic, and policy (ELSPI) concerns. Drawing lessons from AI, nanotechnology, genetics, and nuclear technology governance, policymakers must ensure responsible oversight. Neither the European Union nor the United States currently has dedicated regulations for quantum healthcare devices, though both rely on existing frameworks like the EU’s Medical Device Regulation, the EU AI Act, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Regulations, and the FDA regulatory categories. To manage these complexities, a combination of ex-ante, ex-durante, and ex-post regulatory approaches, as well as international standard-setting, adaptive guidelines, and multidisciplinary collaboration, is recommended. The article offers quantum-specific considerations in medical device regulatory oversight and proposes 10 guiding principles for healthcare policy makers.

By promoting quantum literacy, anticipating societal impacts, fostering global cooperation, and implementing principles-based, future-oriented regulation, we can harness quantum’s transformative potential in medicine while maintaining public trust and safety.