Medical Technology and Society is a thought-provoking
examination for nonspecialists of medical technology and the social
and moral issues arising from it. The book describes the evolution
of medicine from turn-of-the-century general practice with its few
surgical techniques and scarcity of effective drugs to today's
complex hierarchical delivery systems involving advanced science,
sophisticated equipment, and a multitude of highly specialized
personnel. The knotty economic and ethical questions that have
accompanied this dramatic change are identified and discussed,
enhancing our understanding not only of the science, the machinery
and the organization of modern medicine but also of its origins,
its social context, and its alternative futures.Introductory
chapters outline the major developments since 1900. The authors
then examine the technological bases of some of the most important
innovations in medical technology and analyze the economic and
ethical issues surrounding them. Topics include cardiovascular
technology -- pacemakers, defibrillators, and artificial hearts;
critical care technologies -- resuscitation and life-support
devices; and medical imaging methods -- ultrasound and computed
tomography. Human experimentation, artificial prolongation of life
in extreme situations, fair access to the technologies, and cost
are discussed side by side with presentation of scientific and
technical material. The computerization of diagnostic systems and
patient records is considered along with issues of liability and
privacy.A concluding chapter takes up such topical issues as
spending on acute care at the expense of preventive care, the
starving of basic research to feed applications development, and
the dehumanizing effect on patients of highly technical medical
practice.Joseph Bronzino and Maurice Wade are members of the
faculty of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut; Vincent Smith is
Professor at Montana State University. Medical Technology and
Society is included in the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation sponsored
series, the New Liberal Arts.
General
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