The history of healthcare is one of constant discovery, progress, and invention -- and often skepticism from both practitioners and patients. Take this prediction from The Times of London in 1834: "That it will ever come into general use, notwithstanding its value, is extremely doubtful because its beneficial application requires much time and gives a good bit of trouble." The innovation in question: the newly invented stethoscope. The same is true with the development of healthcare information technology (HIT) today. Its transformational power has yet to be fully recognized. While tools like electronic health records (EHR) are now accepted and mainstream, there are more wide-ranging, IT-driven opportunities still to be grasped.
