Time-capsule thinking: the health care workforce, past and future.

The size and shape of the U.S. health care workforce are in constant evolution. Using the metaphorical device of a time capsule, this essay examines the past and future of the workforce. It traces the growth, specialization, and diversification of health care workers during the twentieth century, emphasizing the particular expansion of the nonmedical aspects of the workforce. Looking ahead, the paper examines technology, informatics, nursing, provider distribution, and the global migration of health care workers as pivotal issues for the future of the workforce.