Advancements in healthcare continue to evolve at a rapid rate and that trend is certain to continue in the future.
Identifying the biggest milestones of the last 20 years is no easy task, but we've picked out ten that we believe are extremely noteworthy.
Genomics
One of the most important developments in healthcare since the turn of the century came in 2000, when President Bill Clinton announced the initial sequencing of the human genome.
Studying an individual's genome - their complete set of DNA - and how they interact with one another and the person's environment has changed numerous elements of healthcare.
Research in this area has enabled improved diagnostics, providing better tools for healthcare providers and a more evidence-based approach to medicine.
Further progress in genomics is expected to lead to treatments that are specifically designed to suit a patient's genetic make-up.
Medicare Part D
Introduced in 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernisation Act, created an unfunded mandate for Medicare to pay for seniors' prescription drugs through private insurance plans.
In simple terms, people on Medicare can obtain prescription drug coverage under a Part D plan if they are signed up for Medicare Part A and/or Part B benefits.
This is administered through two types of private insurance plans or other types of sponsors, and its introduction has been hugely beneficial to healthcare in the United States.
Millions of people have taken advantage of the scheme since its inception, highlighting that something positive did come from George W Bush's tenure as President.
Digital Records
When Congress passed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act in 2009, medical facilities across the land embarked on a mass paper-shredding mission.
Signed by President Barack Obama as part of the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act, the law included provisions about electronic healthcare records and the meaningful use of the technology.
By 2017, around 95 percent of hospitals in the US had adopted an EHR system, thus improving healthcare quality, organisational performance and patient safety.
Many other countries around the world have embraced digital tech for record keeping, enhancing the way that their individual healthcare systems operate.
Healthcare Fraud
One the biggest issues in US healthcare has been fraud, with Medicare and Medicaid losing tens of billions of dollars prior to 2009 as a result of unscrupulous behaviour.
However, the creation of the Healthcare Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) has made a significant impact in reducing fraud.
The task force uses a variety of tactics, including the utilisation of fraud detection technology similar to that used by credit card companies.
HEAT have helped to dramatically reduce fraud in the US and continue to successfully prosecute people who attempt to scam the system.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Obama's mission to drive healthcare reforms as he pushed through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010.
The law, which requires citizens to have health insurance and prevents insurers from denying coverage, made massive changes to the healthcare industry.
However, things failed to run as smoothly as Obama had hoped and the ACA was inundated with challenges for the rest of the decade.
Republicans in Congress have repeatedly attacked the ACA since its introduction, and there were even questions raised over its constitutional status.
Catheter-Based Aortic Heart Valve
There was a major healthcare breakthrough in 2011 when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) device.
Developed by American medical device company Edwards Lifesciences, the SAPIEN is an artificial valve made using pericardial tissue taken from cows' hearts.
It is used to replace the diseased or defective valve in patients with aortic stenosis - the narrowing of the valve's opening.
The transcatheter device can be inserted into the human body using a thin tube, thus preventing the need for open-heart surgery.
Cancer Immunotherapy
The 2010s saw numerous advances in cancer research, with cancer immunotherapy arguably the biggest leap forward of all.
This is the artificial stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer, improving on its natural ability to fight the disease.
Cancer immunotherapy gathered momentum in 2013, but gained a strong foothold five years later in a joint research collaboration between academic institutions in Texas and Kyoto.
The researchers - James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo - earned a Nobel Prize for their pioneering work in checkpoint therapy, which unleashes the body's immune system to attack cancer cells.
Artificial Pancreas
The treatment of type 1 diabetes took a major step forward in 2016 as the FDA approved the first ever first hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery system - otherwise known as an artificial pancreas.
Developed by medical device company Medtronic, the MiniMed 670G monitors a person's blood sugar levels and supplies insulin when needed.
The product offers more freedom to people with type 1 diabetes to live their lives normally without worrying about monitoring baseline glucose levels or administering insulin.
Other companies such as Johnson & Johnson's Animas group have developed a similar system, providing another solution to people with type 1 diabetes.
Medical Cannabis
More commonly known as a recreational drug, cannabis has increasingly been recognised by healthcare providers for its medicinal qualities.
Its use for medical purposes is currently legal in around three-quarters of states, although there is plenty of disparity between the legislation in each area.
The United Kingdom also passed legislation in 2018 allowing people to obtain cannabis on prescription, but it has proven difficult for patients to access the drug.
However, its addition to the legal ranks in some jurisdictions marks a major step forward for a drug that many people view as an ideal treatment for some serious ailments.
COVID-19 Vaccine
December 8 was a landmark day in healthcare, with a UK grandmother becoming the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The pandemic had a devasting global effect during 2020, but the approval of the vaccine was seen as the first step on the road back to normality.
Other companies have since launched their COVID-19 vaccines, while many others will follow suit over the coming months.
The speed with which the vaccines have been developed highlights just how far medical research has progressed this century.
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