Michael Crichton tracks the logistics of Massachusetts General Hospital through the clinical histories of five distinct individuals. He details the emergency treatment of an overhead crane operator with chest injuries, a high-fevered transient, a mother with sudden abdominal pain, a child with serious burns, and a man requiring complex heart surgery. By documenting their specific diagnostic paths, Crichton examines the integration of computer-assisted medicine, the rising costs of healthcare technology, and the shift from general practice to specialized academic medicine during the late 1960s.
Readers interested in the evolution of medical systems find this a practical study of historical healthcare delivery. It appeals to those wanting to see how engineering and data management began to overhaul traditional bedside manner. The reader finishes with a clear understanding of the bureaucratic and technological hurdles that transform a hospital from a charitable clinic into a complex, data-driven institution. It provides an objective look at the transition between physical assessment and automated diagnostic tools.
- Published
- 1970
- Language
- EN
