Back to the iPhone future: Lessons from a decade of Apple influence in medicine

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Ten years ago this week-on June 29, 2007-many waited (in line or online) for the first iPhone's formal release. Steve Jobs revealed what he promised would be a game-changing device months earlier, providing plenty of time for the lofty dreams, predictions, and excitement to build. The decade since has largely justified the hype. Apple's now-signature product has made a lasting mark not only on our communications, but on many unexpected walks of life. So this week as the iPhone turns 10, we'll be examining its impact and revisiting the device that changed it all.

In early 2008-on the brink of the second generation iPhone's release-emergency medicine doctor Michael Omori unabashedly gushed over the digital upheaval he saw at the medical community's fingertips: swipes on slim devices leafed pages of hefty medical books too cumbersome to tote on rounds. Thumb taps quickly summoned archived data into emergency rooms. And light pecks conjured 3D anatomy guides and pill identification tools at the bedside.

In a breathless letter to his colleagues in the Journal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock, Omori scrolled through all this potential. The letter ended succinctly: "The future is now! Join the iPhone revolution."

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