Unit 1 – History and Trends of Health Care

Doctor’s have been saying it for years… “Let’s take a look…”  010/02/11/business/ /take-a-look-commercial.html 010/02/11/business/ /take-a-look-commercial.html

We will review each period of history. Think about how the discoveries have helped to improve the health care you receive today.  In the days before drugstores, people used many herbs and plants as both food and medicine. Many of these herbs are still in use today. A common example is a medication called morphine. It is made from a poppy plant and is used to treat pain.

Ancient Times  In Primitive Times (4000BC – 3000BC), the common belief was that disease and illness were caused by evil spirits and demons. Religion played an important role in health care. A common belief was that illness and disease were a punishment from the gods. Most religions didn’t allow dissection of the human body, so very little was known about it’s structure and how it worked.  The Egyptians were the first to record health records. Most of these records were recorded on stone and were created by priests who acted as doctors. (3000BC – 300BC)  The ancient Chinese believed in curing the spirit and nourishing the entire body, much like holistic health today. (1700BC – 220AD)

Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine” (460 – 377BC)  Hippocrates was one of the most important physicians in ancient Greece. He believed that disease was caused by natural causes and not by evil spirits. Hippocrates is best known for authoring a code of conduct for doctors, the “Hippocratic Oath”. He was the first to describe the symptoms of pneumonia and epilepsy in children.

Ancient times continued…  The first hospitals were established by the Ancient Romans when physicians began caring for injured soldiers or ill people in their homes. Because the exact causes of disease hadn’t been discovered, simple infections killed people. The average life span was only years. (753BC -410AD)

The Dark and Middle Ages (400AD – 1400 AD)  A major epidemic of bubonic plague killed almost 75 percent of the population of Europe and Asia. Other diseases such as smallpox, diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid, and malaria killed many others. Many people died before they were 35 years old because of all of these diseases. Many infants and children died shortly after birth. Today, most of these diseases are almost non-existent because they are prevented with vaccines or treated by medicines.

The Renaissance (1350 – 1650 AD) This time is also known as the “Rebirth of the science of medicine.” Dissection was now allowed and doctors could now view body organs and how they worked. Artists, such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, were able to draw the body accurately. The printing press was invented and books could now be printed to educate physicians. The life span increased to years.

The 16 th, 17 th, and 18 th Centuries  During this period, physicians gained an increased knowledge of the human body. A major development was the invention of the microscope by Anton van Leeuwenhoek. (1666)  At the end of the 18 th century, Edward Jenner developed a vaccine to prevent smallpox, a deadly disease. (1796)  During this time, the average life span grew to years.

The 19 th Century  Also known as the Industrial Revolution. Major progress in medical science occurred because of the development of machines and ready access to books.  Formal training for nurses began during this period. Florence Nightingale established sanitary nursing care for injured soldiers during the Crimean War. She is know as the founder of modern nursing. ( )  Physicians began to associate the tiny microorganisms seen in microscopes with disease. Methods to stop these organisms were developed by Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur.

The 19 th Century continued…  Women became active participants in medical care during this time. Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female physician in the U.S. (1849) and Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. (1881)  The average life span during this period increased to years. Many causes of diseases were identified and many vaccines and medications were developed.

The 20 th Century  This period of time saw the most rapid growth in health care. New machines such as x-rays made it possible for physicians to view the body. Medicines, including insulin for diabetes, antibiotics to fight infections, and vaccines to prevent diseases, were identified. Such as Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine in  A major development to understanding the human body occurred in the 1950s when Crick and Watson described the structure of DNA and how it carries genetic information.

20 th Century continued…  The first open heart surgery in the 1950s led the way to the heart transplants of today. Surgical techniques can now cure what was once a fatal condition. Infection control has helped decrease surgical infections that used to kill many patients.  Computer technology has helped medical technology progress faster than at any other time and will continue to increase even more in the 21 st Century.  All of these developments have helped to increase the average life span to years. Even today it is not unusual to see some people to live to be 100.

20 th Century continued…  With current pioneers such as Ben Carson, and many other medical scientists and physicians, there is no limit to what future health care will bring.

The 21 st Century  The potential for major advances in health care in the 21 st century is unlimited. Completion of the Human Genome Project and research with embryonic stem cells could lead to treatments that will cure many diseases.  Bioterrorism, the use of microorganisms as weapons to infect humans is a real and present threat. Pandemics, or worldwide epidemics, could occur quickly because people can travel easily from one country to another. BUT…  Scientists now have computers and rapid methods of communication to share new knowledge. Health care has become a global concern and countries are working together to promote good health and protect all people.