Briefly describe how each of the following have influenced modern health care practice: ancient cultures, Greece and Rome, the early Judeo-Christian period, and China

Modern health care practices have been shaped by a number of historical influences. In ancient cultures, the role of a healer was highly respected and, over time, came to be associated primarily with men. Today's society continues to view doctors with high respect, and the majority of doctors are still male. In ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates established a systematic approach to diagnosing illness and advocated a healthful lifestyle. He demonstrated that illness resulted from natural causes rather than from evil spirits or the anger of the gods. He also advocated ethical behavior for physicians. The Hippocratic oath is still used widely today. In the Judeo-Christian period, healing was often associated with the "laying on of hands.". This practice appears to be related to today's growing field of energy medicine. Chinese physicians have long used acupuncture to alter the flow of energy through the body. Since its introduction into the United States in the 1970s, acupuncture has gained increasing acceptance. These and other ancient healing traditions have influenced the development of today's health care system.