The Costs of Innovation

摘要

For more than 40 years, Daniel Callahan has specialized in asking hard, penetrating questions that science can't answer. In Taming the Beloved Beast, his 41 st book, he asks one of potentially great interest to those involved in biomedical science: What is the proper role of technology in health care?rnFor many who spend their lives seeking new ways to understand and control illness and extend life, the question is probably a no-brainer. The near-infinity of Pharmaceuticals, machines, and equipment used in patient care has saved countless lives, prevented untold suffering, and will, as innovation continues, do even better in the future. For most Americans, advancing health technology appears an unalloyed good, a view that we support with tens of billions of tax dollars each year.