Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Sociotechnical Aspects: Clinicians and Technology
Lecture:Sociotechnical aspects of health care
Slide content:Technology in Medicine Continued Technology has assisted evolution of the scientific method Example: Complex statistical calculations in studies Technology helps advance reproducible scientific breakthroughs Example: Use and production of penicillin Technology essential to practice some forms of medicine Example: In vitro fertilization 8
Slide notes:Technology has assisted researchers in the design and evaluation of their research projects and has even promoted the evolution of the scientific method. For example, complex statistical calculations were once performed by hand, but now software packages such as SPSS [S-P-S-S] are used extensively for the same tasks. Technology helps to advance reproducible scientific breakthroughs. For example, after the discovery of penicillin, technology was key in refining its production and defining how it could be used. At the time when penicillin was first synthesized, stockpiles were scarce, and the penicillin was recycled in order to use it on multiple patients. Technology is also essential to practice some forms of medicine. For example, Robert G. Edwards received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2010 for developing the technique of in vitro [ ihn- vee -troh ] fertilization. His innovation would have been impossible without the assistance of technology. 8