UPFRONT

According to Plan

Peter K. Kaiser, MD

As I watched the huge lines form outside my local Apple (Cupertino, CA) Store for the release of the new iPhone 6, I looked down at my “antiquated” iPhone 5s and knew it was only a matter of time before I would be upgrading my now “obsolete” phone.

Similarly, the new operating system was released, and there were many models of iPhone on which it cannot be installed. Obviously, this is a great example of “planned obsolescence” in that older iPhones could not run the more modern operating systems, and by upgrading the iPhone every year, Apple has influenced their fanboys to shell out their hard-earned cash in this annual fall ritual.

The term “planned obsolescence” got its start during the 1930s, when it was used to describe the government’s decision to limit the shelf lives of products to help end the Great Depression. It was later made famous by Brooks Stevens, an industrial designer who used it to refer to the practice of continuously improving products in an attempt to influence people to replace their purchases more often.

More recently, this definition has been expanded to include the idea that manufacturers purposefully plan products to fail prematurely, or they make them become unusable over time.

As I use our “new” EHR system and the latest digital imaging platform in the clinic, the term takes on a whole new meaning. It seems that every year, we have to upgrade a server, some software package, or some other part of the system to keep it working.

Making the system future proof is almost impossible because computer industry engineers have PhDs in planned obsolescence. In this issue, Dr. Rishi Singh explores the current state of the art in image management systems. But beware — it will change quickly.

Much like my annual upgrade of my iPhone, I know we will be constantly upgrading our imaging systems, ensuring that Mr. Stevens’ prophecy is coming true. However, the more interesting thing about Brooks Stevens is that he also designed the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Now that is a legacy to be proud of.