ABSTRACT
I believe that healthcare leaders have to know a little about the history of the technology revolution in order to appreciate the important role that information technology (IT) plays in the current world. The savvy healthcare executive or manager will study technology’s past in order to understand the developing interrelationships between IT and human beings. The individual will further use this knowledge to aid him or her in empathizing with workers, especially older ones, who are hesitant to adopt new technologies. The leader could also use history as a guide to aid him or her in identifying ways in which the introduction of new technologies can alter employee behaviors and workflow processes. At the same time, a healthcare administrator who understands technology’s historical trends will have a better grasp of where these developments are
headed over the next two or three decades, thereby allowing him or her to strategically place the organization in a position to benefit from these changes. Finally-and most importantly-a leader can use what he or she learns about technology’s past, as it relates specifically to the health services industry, to help him or her improve human resources (HR) processes, increase overall organi zational efficiency and effectiveness, and better manage the office.
