How Has Healthcare Changed Since The 1950's

The world of healthcare has changed drastically since the 1950’s. Reflecting upon how Mrs. Henrietta’s cervical cancer was treated it is apparent that treatment options for patients have came a very long way. However, it is not just the treatment of disease and cancer that have changed. Over the past few decades there has been a massive shift toward a more patient centered system. It was almost hard to fathom some of the examples of tests and treatments that were done with little to no communication with patients. Today every T must be crossed and I dotted when it comes to ensuring a patient’s understanding and willingness to undergo any treatment or test. Patient’s perceptions of physicians and others in the healthcare field have drastically changed as well. My grandparents for example take

That is not to say that all advances in technology have been bad many have been for the better of healthcare across the board. A prime example of this would be the mobile phone apps now available that help with patient adherence to their often very complex medication regimen or the ease at which patients can get into contact with their healthcare providers. Unfortunately, there are still some patients that slip past without healthcare providers ever realizing that they may not understand the directions given for their treatment plan or even what is actually causing them to need said treatment. The push to solve that issue shows in itself just how drastically the culture of provider/patient interactions has changed over the years. Reading of how Mrs. Lacks was treated by her physicians was heart wrenching; imagine being “treated” for some disease you don’t understand, in a place that you only know as a place people go to die or acquire other ailments, and in a way that literally makes your skin look like it was being