Confronting the Realities of Regulation in a New Age of Practice

We are experiencing an accelerating paradigmatic shift from an industrial-based social construct to a technology-driven social framework. This emerging new reality is beginning to redefine the clinical experience, making it less possible to define or express clinical activity without technology. As this reality continues to emerge, clinical practice, critical thinking, and the mechanics that regulate them will need to change. To stay relevant, regulators will have to switch from remote, rules-based regulations to point-of-care, principle-based regulations.This article is meant to challenge thinking for further exploration of the impact of new realities in a postdigital age.