In an attempt to sum up our understanding of the human body and the development of healthcare starting in the 19th century, many advances are notable to this day. It was in the face of epidemics (cholera, diphtheria, tuberculosis, and yellow fever) along with poor sanitation that forced government-sponsored public health programs to arise, and from such, healthcare began to systematically develop.
In the mid-1800s, hospitals began treating all walks of life, not simply the poor. Instead of doctors only travelling to their sickest patients, they began treating them all together in one location. After the Civil War, hospitals molded into private or public institutions. A belief that physicians needed standardized training led to the 1893 Johns …show more content…
Businesses and unions began to offer a range of benefits to its workers, including paid medical care. Private health insurance was developed to cover the rising costs of medical care, but it was not until the end of the 1920s that the first large medical insurance company, Blue Cross, was established. During World War II, a medical plan started by Henry J. Kaiser for his employees featured a pre-paid program that paved the way for Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) 40 years later. During the 1950’s, advances in medicine in diagnostic techniques (x rays), lifesaving drugs (penicillin), and inoculations against diseases (polio), had created a scientific culture that included laboratory technicians, therapists, widening roles for nurses, and increasing physician specialization. U.S. government research and health institutions and programs, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, were established. The 1960s saw the initiation of social programs to aid in the medical care of the aged (Medicare) and poor (Medicaid). Prior to the founding of these institutions, the U.S. government had founded other health programs and institutions, such as the Indian Health Service, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and established an executive cabinet-level agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. In the 1990s, the internet, added to the health information available to consumers. Computer and communications advancements also allowed for such practices such as "telemedicine," by which patients could be diagnosed and often treated by physicians at a
In the mid-1800s, hospitals began treating all walks of life, not simply the poor. Instead of doctors only travelling to their sickest patients, they began treating them all together in one location. After the Civil War, hospitals molded into private or public institutions. A belief that physicians needed standardized training led to the 1893 Johns …show more content…
Businesses and unions began to offer a range of benefits to its workers, including paid medical care. Private health insurance was developed to cover the rising costs of medical care, but it was not until the end of the 1920s that the first large medical insurance company, Blue Cross, was established. During World War II, a medical plan started by Henry J. Kaiser for his employees featured a pre-paid program that paved the way for Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) 40 years later. During the 1950’s, advances in medicine in diagnostic techniques (x rays), lifesaving drugs (penicillin), and inoculations against diseases (polio), had created a scientific culture that included laboratory technicians, therapists, widening roles for nurses, and increasing physician specialization. U.S. government research and health institutions and programs, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, were established. The 1960s saw the initiation of social programs to aid in the medical care of the aged (Medicare) and poor (Medicaid). Prior to the founding of these institutions, the U.S. government had founded other health programs and institutions, such as the Indian Health Service, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and established an executive cabinet-level agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. In the 1990s, the internet, added to the health information available to consumers. Computer and communications advancements also allowed for such practices such as "telemedicine," by which patients could be diagnosed and often treated by physicians at a