Unit 1 History of Health Care

Primitive Times Common belief was that disease and illness were caused by evil spirits and demons. As time went on, people began to study the changed to the human body and began to disagree with “evil spirits” From evil spirits to angry gods….disease was a punishment from the gods Exploring the body to discover the truth was not easy because most religions did not allow for “dissection” of the body. This is where the practice of animal dissection began

Ancient Egyptians: 3000BC-300BC First people to record health records Most recorded on stone and created by priests since most people were not “wealthy” enough to be taught to read Priests acted as doctors

Ancient Chinese: 1700BC-220AD Strong belief in the need to cure the spirit and nourish the body. Holistic health: treating the entire patient: mind, body and soul Herbal medicine and acupuncture are still used today.

Father of Medicine: 460-377 BC Best known for creating the “Hippocratic Oath” which began as a swearing to the healing gods to practice medicine following a strict code of ethics He believed that illness and disease had rational and physical explanations Stressed the importance of observation, diagnosis, and treatment First to accurately describe symptoms of pneumonia and epilepsy in children. Treatment was diet, cleanliness, and exercise for natural healing

Symbol of Medicine Asclepius was believed to be the God of healing so the Rod of Asclepius was created Often confused with the caduceus which is similar but is now widely accepted as the symbol of medicine.

Dark Ages Study of medicine stopped Individuals lived in unsanitary conditions with little or no personal hygiene Epidemics of small pox, dysentery, typhus, and the plague were common Prayer was once again thought to cure all

Middle Ages Renewed interest in medical practices of Romans and Greeks First known medical textbooks First medical universities created in the 9th century During this time @1300s, a bubonic plague epidemic killed almost 75% of the European and Asian population. The average life span of 20-35 years was often reduced by the presence of diseases like typhoid, malaria and tuberculosis Many infants died at birth

Renaissance Rebirth of the science of medicine Accurate drawings of the body were made by Michelangelo and Da Vinci Further education for doctors Life span increased to an average of 30-40 years but common infections still claimed many lives

16th-19th centuries Microscope was invented by Anton van Leeuwenhoek allowing doctors to see microorganisms Physicians began to describe things like circulation of blood (William Harvey) and the tympanic membrane of the ear and the fallopian tubes of a female (Gabriel Fallopius) or Bartolomeo Eustachio identified the tube between the ear and throat. First pharmacies and pharmacists (Apothecaries) Average life span increased to 40-50 years Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope First sanitary nursing units started by Florence Nightingale Average life span increased to 40-65 years

20th and 21st Century New inventions such as xrays Medicines such as insulin, antibiotics and vaccines Structure of DNA described by Francis Crick and James Watson Major threats to healthcare such a bioterrorism New viruses such as H1N1 spread due to ease of travel World Health Organization constantly monitoring health problems to promote good health

Trends in Health Care Cost containment: means trying to control the rising cost of health care and achieving maximum benefit for every dollar spent Reasons for higher health care costs are advances in technological procedures, aging populations and health related lawsuits Diagnostic related groups: classified payment groups for certain diagnoses Outpatient services: patients receive care without being admitted to hospitals Energy conservation: monitoring the use if energy to control costs and conserve resources Home health care: doctors and nurses making house calls and delivering care at home

Trends in health care cont… Geriatric care: care for the elderly, experiences rapid growth Average life spans of 80- years or more Baby boom generation is now reaching geriatric age Telemedicine: involves the use of audio, video and computer systems to provide medical health care services Wellness: state of being in optimum health with a balance between mental, physical and social health Complementary therapies: methods of treatment that are used in conjunction with conventional medicine Alternative therapies: methods used in place of biomedical therapies Integrative health care: combines mainstream and CAM therapies

Pandemics Occur when the outbreak of a disease occurs over a wide geographic area and affects a high proportion of the population Examples: H1N1 (swine flu), aviary flu, SARS. Monkeypox, Ebola, Marburg