ABSTRACT
The U.S. health care system has undergone much transformation since the late 1970s. Because of this, consumers of health services as well as the health professionals delivering those services are confronted daily by new technologies, complex ethical issues brought about by advanced technology, reimbursement changes, and ever-changing delivery models. For consumers and health professionals alike, interacting with a health care system that grows more unfamiliar, and thus, more difficult to maneuver, has resulted in widespread doubt about the system's ability to meet the demands of its stakeholders. And yet, this health system thrives.
