Science fiction as we all know, gives us a window into what the future may be like. This future environment shows us many instances of technologies that while quite ordinary in that particular fiction world, would have ground breaking implications in reality giving inventors something to work towards. A prominent example of this is the medical technologies seen in Star Trek. Like with all technologies seen on screen, Star Fleet’s medical equipment is far from perfect in a world that seems to continually find new ways to push the envelope on medical dramas. This week we ask which medical based technology do you think would have the greatest impact on a 20th century earth hospital? Do you think that the standard medical tricorder would revolutionize modern medicine or would having a EMH be for the greater good?
Head over to the Poll of the Week forum to cast your vote!
At the risk of being picky, the question refers to the twentieth century while we are 12 years into the twenty-first century. This makes a difference in my selection since for most of the twentieth century, doctors were more apt to spend time with a patient, to make a home visit or simply sit by a bedside. These are things that an EMH might also do.
However, it was not until late in the twentieth century that some of our current more sophisticated diagnostic tools became commonplace. The cat scan replaced the simple ex-ray, the ultra sound is now more common place. So, I think that early diagnosis via the medical tricorder would have been far more influential in the twentieth century.
My apologies for the slight oversight. I was of course referring to Earth’s current hospitals and medical clinics and how the listed technology could improve care.