In a Word - Anniversary of the OED

On this day, in 1884, the first fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary was published. It contained everything from A to Ant. It was small. The next was published four years later and contained everything from A through all of B. While serial publishing of large works in small pieces was popular in the 19th century, especially in fiction, who wants to wait for the promise of the definitive record of the English language?

Wait we did. 

While the work began in 1857, it was not until 1928 that the last fascicle was put into print. V to Z completed the first edition that year. The second edition – 20 volumes and almost 22,000 pages – was printed a year after the first electronic edition was available in 1989. While there is a third edition in the works, with 28 years of effort already devoted to its publication, it will likely never go to print again. That’s according to an article in 2010 by Alastair Jamieson, and the online preface seems to indicate the same. 

The impact of the internet!

While your medical history may not be nearly 22,000 pages long, when you are ready to access it, why wait? And why carry it in print? Ever tried to transfer your medical history from one provider to the next? It can sometimes feel like 70 years for that to happen – much like the first publication of the OED.

In these fast-paced days where we expect instant results and live large portions of our lives electronically, why not work with physicians who share your medical records immediately and allow you to carry your most up to date medical data, safely and securely, with you everywhere you go…? This portability is at the core of the new healthcare network and social ecosystems.

Most people spend far too much time searching for the right doctor, trying to schedule convenient appointments fast, and filling out repetitive forms in physician waiting rooms – the number one reason people give for leaving a practice. Typically, healthcare providers have limited access to your medical records and make decisions without all your relevant health information, sometimes putting your health at risk. They are getting it in fascicles.