What Are The Pros And Cons Of Medical Technology

In the text, “Medical Technology and Ethical Issues” by William E. Thompson and Joseph V. Hickey, the advantages and disadvantages and the ethical implications of the growing use of technology in the medical field is discussed. The authors focus on a new and advanced piece of technology, a system known as RIP. The system is a specialized computer program that is widely available in emergency rooms. Once a patient arrives in the emergency room, personal data is entered into the computer. Then, the computer computes the patient’s odds of surviving. If the patient’s odds are less than about five percent, the computer recommends that patient does not receive treatment. Yet, if the patient’s odds are greater than about five percent, the computer immediately prints out recommended action. Critics fear that human judgement that comes from time and experience with be lost in the treatment process. Others point out that the program is wrong in about five percent of all cases, a margin of error that is too high to be trusted, Supporters insist that the technology helps medical professionals make quick decisions and appropriately allocate high demand medical treatment. The authors expand on the topic by discussing less debatable technology used in the …show more content…
(par.3) This argument is used against rapidly developing technology often. I believe this argument is based more on a bleak opinion of the future than factual evidence. Smartphones were and still are criticized for being a piece of technology we are “over reliant” on. I don’t believe that we are over reliant on technology and I don’t believe that being moderately reliant on technology is a bad thing. I may hold a more optimistic and Star-Trek inspired opinion than the critics, but I believe that our developing technology is helping slingshot humans into a future where technology works for and with us to our