C799
Healthcare Ecosystems
TASK 2 – Passed
Trends in the Ecosystem
Western Governors University
, 2
Trends in the Ecosystem
Evolution of Medicine
Many events in history propelled the evolution of medicine. One such event was the use
of chloroform as anesthesia during childbirth by Sir James Young Simpson in 1847. Simpson
had used ether in the past but found that it had disagreeable side effects. This led him to search
for another form of anesthesia with fewer side effects, chloroform. The delivery system for
chloroform was much more straightforward, as only a tiny amount needed to be placed on a
handkerchief or rag in a funnel and then over the nose and mouth. His first use of the anesthesia
was so successful that after the anesthesia wore off, the patient did not realize that she had
already given birth. (Dunn, 2002)
Another event in the evolution of medicine was Louis Pasteur’s invention of a vaccine for
chicken cholera in 1880. Pasteur obtained a sample of a sick chicken’s fecal matter and observed
a bacteria strain. After some time, he noticed that the strain of bacteria had lost some of its
virulence. He used this less virulent strain to inoculate healthy chickens, which made them
immune to the cholera bacteria. This new vaccine was the first for animal use. In his lifetime,
Pasteur would create vaccines for anthrax and rabies. (Berche, 2012)
Roles of Healthcare Professionals
The role of physicians evolved as medical schools were established and provided a
standardized approach to teaching. The first medical school established in America was the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1765. A more notable medical school opened
more than 100 years later, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. John Hopkins focused
on the scientific method, bedside teaching, laboratory research and was one of the first major
medical schools to admit women. (Wagner, 2020)
As education increased and more was discovered about the human body, physicians
started branching out into specializations such as cardiology, orthopedics, and pulmonology.
Physicians began to specialize in different fields in the 1830s, and advancements in teaching and
technology allowed them to grow. Specialization is unique to the United States as most other
countries focus on primary care and preventative illnesses. (Wagner, 2020)
Technology in Healthcare
Healthcare technology advanced by leaps and bounds since the beginning of modern
medicine, but two early technologies that have impacted healthcare were the invention of the
stethoscope and the discovery of x-rays.
Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope in 1816 out of an uncomfortable situation with a
female patient. Laennec did not want to place his ear on the patient’s chest as he thought it was
improper. He came up with the idea of rolling a piece of paper into a tube and placing that on his
patient’s chest, allowing him to hear her heart and lung sounds. Not only did this discovery help
his patient, but it would lead Laennec to discover different heart and lung ailments such as
murmurs, emphysema, pneumothorax, and many more.(Vatanoglu-Lutz and Ataman, 2016)
This study source was downloaded by 100000902171055 from CourseHero.com on 11-05-2025 19:34:31 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/248801740/Task-2docx/
Healthcare Ecosystems
TASK 2 – Passed
Trends in the Ecosystem
Western Governors University
, 2
Trends in the Ecosystem
Evolution of Medicine
Many events in history propelled the evolution of medicine. One such event was the use
of chloroform as anesthesia during childbirth by Sir James Young Simpson in 1847. Simpson
had used ether in the past but found that it had disagreeable side effects. This led him to search
for another form of anesthesia with fewer side effects, chloroform. The delivery system for
chloroform was much more straightforward, as only a tiny amount needed to be placed on a
handkerchief or rag in a funnel and then over the nose and mouth. His first use of the anesthesia
was so successful that after the anesthesia wore off, the patient did not realize that she had
already given birth. (Dunn, 2002)
Another event in the evolution of medicine was Louis Pasteur’s invention of a vaccine for
chicken cholera in 1880. Pasteur obtained a sample of a sick chicken’s fecal matter and observed
a bacteria strain. After some time, he noticed that the strain of bacteria had lost some of its
virulence. He used this less virulent strain to inoculate healthy chickens, which made them
immune to the cholera bacteria. This new vaccine was the first for animal use. In his lifetime,
Pasteur would create vaccines for anthrax and rabies. (Berche, 2012)
Roles of Healthcare Professionals
The role of physicians evolved as medical schools were established and provided a
standardized approach to teaching. The first medical school established in America was the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1765. A more notable medical school opened
more than 100 years later, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. John Hopkins focused
on the scientific method, bedside teaching, laboratory research and was one of the first major
medical schools to admit women. (Wagner, 2020)
As education increased and more was discovered about the human body, physicians
started branching out into specializations such as cardiology, orthopedics, and pulmonology.
Physicians began to specialize in different fields in the 1830s, and advancements in teaching and
technology allowed them to grow. Specialization is unique to the United States as most other
countries focus on primary care and preventative illnesses. (Wagner, 2020)
Technology in Healthcare
Healthcare technology advanced by leaps and bounds since the beginning of modern
medicine, but two early technologies that have impacted healthcare were the invention of the
stethoscope and the discovery of x-rays.
Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope in 1816 out of an uncomfortable situation with a
female patient. Laennec did not want to place his ear on the patient’s chest as he thought it was
improper. He came up with the idea of rolling a piece of paper into a tube and placing that on his
patient’s chest, allowing him to hear her heart and lung sounds. Not only did this discovery help
his patient, but it would lead Laennec to discover different heart and lung ailments such as
murmurs, emphysema, pneumothorax, and many more.(Vatanoglu-Lutz and Ataman, 2016)
This study source was downloaded by 100000902171055 from CourseHero.com on 11-05-2025 19:34:31 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/248801740/Task-2docx/
