The Risks of Medical Innovation: Risk Perception and Assessment in Historical Context (Routledge Studies in the Social History of Medicine)

ISBN: 0415334810

Author: Schlich, Thomas

Condition: New

The risks involved in introducing new drugs and devices are amongst the most discussed issues of modern medicine.Presenting a new way of thinking about these issues, this volume considers risk and medical innovation from a social historical perspective, and studies specific cases of medical innovation, including X-rays, the pill and Thalidomide, in their respective contexts.International cases are examined through the lens of a particular set of shared questions - highlighting differences, similarities, continuities and changes, and offering a historical sociology of risk. Particularly important is the re-conceptualization of dangers in terms of risk - a numerical and probabilistic approach allowing for seemingly objective and value-neutral decisions.Read together, these papers add to our understanding of the current debate about risk and safety by providing a comparative background to the discussion, as well as a set of generally applicable criteria for analyzing and evaluating the contemporary issues surrounding medical innovation.