For as long as there have been problems like pain, maladies, and death, there have been doctors. Their methodologies of practice have come a long way since the first recorded instances of “doctors” some 27,000 years ago and so have the offices and operating theaters in which they perform their duties. In fact, the medical field has gone through some rather substantial changes in the evolution of medical care and the doctor’s office.
The Birthplace of the Hospital
These days, hospitals are considered the facility where you go to receive serious medical treatment, whether it’s a trip to the emergency room for some kind of urgent medical situation, long term treatment for serious illnesses, or surgery, we usually go to a hospital for care that is often more serious than a routine checkup or infection. But the hospital was the main hub for practicing physicians to see patients all across the board.
The first major evidence of doctors practicing in what one might recognize as a hospital setting was found in the Middle East around the 9
th century. These facilities and the tools with which doctors were trying to treat patients had the highest rate of success, more so than in previous eras when surgeries had a higher chance of killing you than curing you.
Medical Schools
These became more prevalent throughout Italy in the 12
th century, leading the way for doctors to fine-tune their knowledge of the medical profession through trial and error and real world experience. No longer were they relying solely on books and research, they were applying solutions to problems and developing the foundations for modern practice.
Working From Home
The 19
th century saw many dramatic changes in the way doctors practiced medicine. Not only were doctors becoming more sophisticated in diagnosing and treating ailments and injuries, but the arenas in which they practiced went through big shifts as well. It was during this time that many doctors in rural areas and small towns worked from their homes, utilizing a parlor or additional room in the house as a place where they would accept patients.
Some doctors would keep their business and their home life separate by seeing patients in a small room over a detached garage or in a building behind their home on the same property. For those physicians who lived in larger cities, they would lease out space on the second floor of an existing building. These were the first stepping-stones to what the modern doctors office would become later on.
Practicing Asepsis
By the turn of the century, doctors were gaining even greater insight into how to treat patients most effectively. One of the more noteworthy among them was gaining a stronger understanding of the impact germs had on keeping patients safe. So by the 1930’s, the doctor’s office was designed and built to control the spread of bacteria by treating the sick and wounded in an exclusive setting to minimize the risk of infection. Surfaces were metal and covered in enamel, while the use of colors on the walls was employed to put patients in a better mood to improve their state of mind.
Wider Space
From the 1930’s through the next couple of decades, doctors practiced in their homes less routinely (though many of them started making house calls) and centered their practices in dwellings that were tailor-made for medical purposes. Now there were more rooms in which doctors could work, with most doctors offices consisting of a reception area or waiting room, an examination room, a private office for consultation, a dressing room, and business office for filing and keeping paperwork, as well as physical therapy rooms.
Of course, technology continued to advance and develop at the same time. Everything from the instruments to the laboratory equipment to the methods of sterilizing all of these vital tools was getting updated as quickly as the facilities in which they were being utilized to treat the sick and infirm.
The Future
The doctors office has gone through a multitude of shifts and advancements through the years. More technology has become the norm as doctors have outfitted their workspaces with the latest high-tech gear. As we ushered in the digital age in the 1980’s and 1990’s doctors had more access to better equipment that could be placed in the office instead of relying on a hospital for these items.
The introduction of lasers and optical gear has enabled doctors in all fields to perform delicate surgeries in the office instead of using a hospital. Lasik, as an example, can be performed in a doctors office while dentists have high resolution X-ray machines that can give them a better view of the inside of the mouth than they have ever had before.
The Need for a Medical Answering Service
Doctors practicing from their offices more often can also increase their bottom line and it allows them to see more patients. Modern technology allows them to remain at the office instead of leaving for the day to work at a hospital. But since the doctors office has also become busier than ever these days, many doctors are turning to reliable
answering service solutions to ensure that every patient is properly cared for and their needs are met in a timely and thorough fashion. These call centers are particularly beneficial when a doctor has to leave the office to work in a hospital, allowing his or her practice to serve all patients to the standard that is expected and appreciated, making each one come back for that doctor’s services time and time again.
