Task 2

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School

Western Governors University *

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Course

C799

Subject

Medicine

Date

Jun 22, 2024

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docx

Pages

15

Uploaded by PresidentArt13509

Task 2 A. Analyze critical historical events and the implications of economic, social, and legislative impacts by doing the following: 1. Discuss how historical events influenced the evolution of medicine Several historical occurrences influenced the development of medicine, and numerous circumstances resulted in the discovery and use of novel drugs and therapies for various illnesses. Diseases ranging from the Black Death plague in the 14th century to the COVID-19 pandemic have all influenced the development of medicine. New medical discoveries have been made because of the constant pressure that new diseases place on scientists to devise novel treatments. Before the development of medications and treatments, many illnesses, like the common cold, might be lethal if left untreated; in the present day, a common cold rarely has the potential to be life-threatening because of the use of many different medications specifically designed to combat it. In 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming discovered the existence of penicillin which proved to be an effective treatment for bacterial infections. The discovery of penicillin was pivotal as it was the first antibiotic treatment ever and was the driving force for the discovery of other antibiotics. In addition, it affected how providers treat patients with infections and perform invasive procedures. Before the discovery of antibiotics, conditions such as bacterial pneumonia, STIs, and sepsis were usually fatal. Surgeries were also incredibly risky as there were no antibacterial solutions that could cleanse surgical instruments to prevent infections that could prove deadly. Since the discovery of penicillin and subsequent discoveries of other antibiotics, there have been many infectious diseases with specific antibiotics that are effective against them. These discoveries have revolutionized medicine in
that providers no longer have to allow a person to die if they fall ill from an infection. Instead, an antibiotic that the infectious agent is not resistant to may be administered to enable the patient to recover from the ailment. Another prominent historical event that shaped the evolution of medicine was the invention of the smallpox vaccine, where a physician name Dr. Edward Jenner noticed that people infected with cowpox were immune to smallpox. After realizing this, Dr. Jenner successfully inoculated a small child with a sample of matter collected from a cowpox sore. At the time of this discovery, smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases in recorded human history. Therefore, this discovery was incredibly significant. This finding immediately led to the study and development of vaccines for many other diseases. Furthermore, the method he introduced in his first trial with the minor child he inoculated led other scientists to try to emulate the same results with conditions such as polio and hepatitis. Naturally, these developments lead to the field of immunology and scientists studying the infectious process closely to discover and implement new methods and techniques to strengthen the body’s ability to fight and prevent infection. 2. Discuss how historical events influenced the roles of healthcare professionals. Abraham Flexner's report on medical education was published in 1910. It heavily influenced the role of healthcare professionals in that it called for a standard of education and licensing of practitioners to ensure that patients were receiving adequate care across the board. Before the introduction of Flexner’s report, healthcare delivery was very tumultuous and unstandardized, making it difficult for patients to receive the same type of care as a standard.
Before the information was published, many people could enter the profession without any formal education or demonstration of knowledge. Although he was not a physician, Flexner’s report was very detailed and had a caustic outlook on the medical profession at the time. After the Council on Medical Education (CME) asked Flexner to survey the current state of medical education in the US, his report gave him the information needed to suggest a framework for modern medical education that is still in practice today. The news brought about many advancements in the field, including the standardization of medical education, which saw the regulation of medical education. This was implemented to ensure that every physician In the US was undergoing the same rigorous training and education; this, in turn, raised the standard and overall quality of education for healthcare professionals in the US. World War II saw the expansion of many different roles, especially nursing. During this time, medical advancements were made as medicine evolved rapidly to keep up with the demand for injuries and ailments acquired at war. This required more people to enter the healthcare workforce, and more roles needed to be filled both on the battlefield and at home. During this time, new and innovative practices, including blood transfusions, antiseptics, local anesthetics, and painkillers, were discovered that needed many more professionals than physicians to administer (theworldwar.org, 2016). Many of the casualties of war happened on the battlefield, but many of them happened away from the battlefield with illnesses and injuries from the war. Florence Nightingale was a prominent figure in the Crimean War, credited as the founder of nursing stemming from her efforts. She pioneered the implementation of hygiene and sanitation during the war, which set the stage for nursing as we know it today. Her efforts were vastly expounded upon during World War I by women such as Edith Cavell, who saved lives
both on and off the battlefield and also Mairi Chisholm and Elsie Knocker, who left their military medical stations to set up their clinic closer to the front lines to implement interventions to rescue soldiers (theworldwar.org, 2016). With the new advancements in medical practice to help soldiers on the front lines, many nurses and healthcare workers had to learn how to perform many of the new procedures under the stress of battle, and many of those practices were brought back to the States and used in hospitals and clinics across the nation. 3. Discuss how historical events influenced technology in healthcare. Numerous historical occurrences have significantly influenced the growth and use of technology in healthcare. These occurrences include scientific breakthroughs, industrial revolutions, and technological innovations that have enhanced patient care and transformed medical procedures. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen's discovery of X-rays in 1895 was an important development in the field of technology within healthcare. This ground-breaking technology allowed healthcare practitioners to view the human body without invasive treatments. Before the introduction of X-Rays, especially during wartime, physicians would have to remove broken body parts for small fractures or other minor complications. Doctors could diagnose fractures, spot cancers, and identify several illnesses using X-rays. This innovation was the cornerstone for later diagnostic imaging innovations like CT scans and MRI devices. X-rays revolutionized medical technology in the imaging aspect and advanced many procedures that we have today. Over the years, many technologies have been refined and improved, so systems that were once unknown or very difficult to perform have become widely conventional (Wagner, 2020, pg. 329).
The introduction of computers and the digital age more recently have altered healthcare. The way patient information is stored, accessed, and shared has revolutionized due to the digitalization of medical records and the creation of electronic health records (EHRs). This has expedited healthcare procedures, strengthened provider communication, and improved patient safety. Information technology (IT) has become a cornerstone of healthcare, especially recently. EHRs have revolutionized how information is stored, transferred, and accessed while increasing the efficiency and speed of data handling of protected health information (PHI). Through the beginnings of the digital era, all communication was stored primarily on paper; sensitive patient information would be written down and stored away on lock and key with little to no security protocols in place to protect this information. Many of the larger healthcare organizations handled vast quantities of data that needed to be updated over time and readily accessible by the appropriate parties involved in a patient’s care. EHR software is vital in this case because it arranges data into usable information and makes it readily available for practitioners. In addition, HER software can track data from many years ago and lend to the integrity of patient information that the patient may forget, such as allergies or significant surgeries. Since the problem of the inefficiency of health records and the security risks they posed were realized and EHR software was introduced, the use of patient health records has been optimized to be more secure and readily accessible. B. Describe the components of a healthcare delivery system. The healthcare delivery system has many components that all must work together to provide competent patient care. The elements of a healthcare delivery system deal with any medical service rendered to a patient, starting from the hospital setting to every facility or
medical personnel interacting with a patient. In a broader sense, the components of the US healthcare delivery system include as follows: hospitals, long-term care facilities, and rehabilitation facilities; noninstitutional providers such as physicians, pharmacists, and physical therapists, etc.; the pharmaceutical industry, the biotech industry, the medical device industry, and complementary and alternative medicine. Hospitals are the most widely recognized and easily identifiable healthcare delivery systems in the United States. When a person is sick, has a medical emergency, or needs surgical treatment, they usually go to a hospital for care. Hospitals typically deal with patients who require a high level of care and usually receive referrals from other facilities (Wagner, 2020 pg. 135). Long-term care facilities are another critical aspect of the healthcare delivery system as they provide multiple levels of care to rehabilitate patients. Long-term care facilities provide services to patients, are things in their life change as they age. Many patients, when they reach a certain age, need help with many aspects of their life they used to be able to perform on their own such as eating, taking medications, showering, etc., and sometimes there is not a competent caregiver who can give these services, this is where long-term care is beneficial. Long-term care aims to provide the patient with skills to gain independence and function in their current state so they can still have a good quality of life while under the supervision of many trained medical professionals of varying specialties. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the components of the healthcare delivery system that has a tremendous impact on the well-being of a patient. When a patient is sick or has undergone a big operation, they most likely need medication to help them on their path to recovery. Many patients have chronic ailments which require many medications to help control
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