The Greatest Advances and Improvements in Health

The Greatest Advances and Improvements in Health

By Evelyn D. Bang

MPH607/NRHL 607-D1B1

Community Health Analysis

Week 1 Discussion Board 1

Benedictine University

Professor Michelle Rose

August 31, 2011

The Greatest Advances and Improvements in Health

It can be said that some of the greatest advances between the late 19th to the early 20th century are the well documented reasons that the mortality rates in the United States began falling more rapidly during any other period in America’s history. One of the reasons that the mortality rate begin to drop in the late 19th century can be attributed to the fact that those in the healthcare industry begin to take more of a proactive stance on healthcare that was provided to the communities they service. As a result of this new stance, campaigns to change health behavior to disease and to utilize practices of health conscious hygiene were initiated for not only physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals but also for the general public. Essentially what this meant is that were antiseptic was not an option in past practice of healthcare delivery (e.g. surgery) it then became an option that was necessary and mandatory as a major change to health behavior to disease. There is not a doubt in anyone’s minds that surgery at one time use to be a much serious proposition than it is today (Cutler and Miller, 2004.

One of the main reasons that this was so, is due to the fact that prior to the middle of the 19th century, anesthetic simply wasn't an option. This changed in 1846, with William T.G. Morton discovery and demonstrated use of ether (a substance which dulled the pain and agony associated with surgery) which prove to be the beginning of advances in medications/drugs. Other advances include the more beneficial use of antisepsis and the creation of a sterile surgical environment. Then there is the discovery and use of vaccinations. All through history, communicable diseases have had an enormous impact on...