Technology Change

One of the strongest motivating forces known is the will to survive. Abraham Maslow recognized its importance in his famous motivational theories by acknowledging that, if one does not satisfy the need to extend life, the effectiveness of all other motivating forces is limited. The strength of the motivational force driven by this desire to extend and improve the quality of life is apparent in the health care industry. Specifically, the health care industry is constantly extending the boundaries of technology in its attempts to satisfy the unquenchable thirst for immortality. This thirst, accompanied by an abundance of funding from sources ranging from governments to pharmaceutical companies to private foundations, results in many technologies germane to the health care industry being highly turbulent, that is, frequently changing.

By definition, turbulent technologies experience frequent improvements and changes. In the health care industry, this turbulence is most evident in

• Development of new drugs
• Development and application of new treatment methods, procedures, and approaches
• Development of new diagnostic devices

Accompanying each of these changes in technology are necessary changes in administration and human resources.

In anticipation of and to facilitate the frequent implementation of technology changes, the health care industry should foster an environment that embraces technological change. In the determination of the most supportive environment for implementation of technology changes, two important stakeholders must be considered, namely, the patients and the health care providers. The technology change must be implemented in a manner that assures that the health care provider is comfortable in utilizing the technology change. This may require continuing education for the provider community. Likewise, the patient will need to be informed of the advantages the technology change affords them. The patient will largely be interested in advantages associated with the new technology that indicate an improvement(s) in the effectiveness of the new technology in the treatment process.

What is anticipated with regard to the turbulence of technologies related to health care? Spawned by an increase in our basic understanding of the human body, most forecasts project an increase in the turbulence of technology change within the health care industry.

Consider the following as a few possible areas where technological changes may soon be evident:

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• New drugs that slow the aging process
• New robotic limb prostheses
• Artificial eyes

The development of each of these health care-related technologies, and many others, will result in modifications to the way in which illnesses are detected and treated. In addition, the discovery of new illnesses and diseases will require the development of new treatment methods involving technology. Thus, technologies in the health care industry are expected to frequently change for all of the anticipated future and therefore all aspects of the health care industry, including key business decisions, should anticipate and plan for changes in technology.