Anticipating and Assessing Health Care Technology, Volume 2 : Future Technological Changes. A Report Commissioned by the Steering Committee on Future Health Scenarios

As noted in the Foreword, this report is the second of several volumes resulting from this study of future health care technology. The purpose of the study, as formulated by the STG, was to analyze future health care technology. Part of the task was to develop an 'early warning system' for health care technology. The primary goal of the project was to develop a list or description of a number of possible and probable future health care technologies, as well as information on their importance. Within the limits of time and money, this has been done. This report is the description of anticipated future health care technologies. However, given the vast number of possible future health care technologies, complete information on the importance of each area could not be developed in any depth for all technology. Therefore, four specific technologies were chosen and were prospectively assessed. These future technologies were examined in more depth, looking particularly at their future health and policy implications. Subsequently, the project was extended to September 1987, and two additional technologies are being assessed. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction....Pages 1-12 Disease prevention and health promotion....Pages 13-27 Nutrition....Pages 29-38 The brain, behavior, and mental health....Pages 39-49 Reproductive health....Pages 51-58 Fetal and child health....Pages 59-65 Medical imaging and other diagnostic technologies....Pages 67-78 Biotechnology-related developments....Pages 79-90 Biologics and pharmaceuticals....Pages 91-104 Blood banking....Pages 105-111 Artificial and transplanted organs and tissues....Pages 113-120 Laser technology....Pages 121-131 Other progress in therapy....Pages 133-142 Rehabilitation and home care....Pages 143-154 Oral health....Pages 155-160 Alternative therapy....Pages 161-167 The computer: clinical applications....Pages 169-179 The computer: organizational and analytical applications....Pages 181-190 Basic and applied sciences....Pages 191-199 Back Matter....Pages 201-376 This report, Anticipating and Assessing Health Care Technology, is the first report from the STG Commission on Future Health Care Technology. The goal of the Commission's work is to develop sufficient information on future technological developments in health and health care to assist planning for their consequences.