Introduction:The transition from milestones to innovations

Abstract

Physicians who were educated and began practicingin the 20th century have witnessed someof the most significant innovations and discoveriesin the history of healthcare. While majorsurgical and therapeutic milestones defined the previouscentury, our current century is defined by the high-speedpace of technological innovations that affect the practiceof medicine. For example, the proliferation of hand-heldcommunication devices now provides immediate accessto a wealth of healthcare information. Ultimately, recollectinginformation will be less necessary and far lessvaluable than understanding the concepts behind it. Thechallenge for providers is to recognize how to incorporatethese innovations into the traditional model of treatingdiseases with the goal of improving outcomes and containingcosts