Are current medical practice and research well oriented?

What have i liked and what has been my lot to live with? (a clinician’s autumnal reflections)

Abstract

1-The historical course of western medical research and thinking has led, despite its
great achievements, to a medical practice more focused on the biological concept of
disease and the promotion of technological innovation than on a unified view of
persons and their humane needs. 2- No matter how great its successes, the risk of
current medical research is to achieve results that are far too remote from health
benefits. The magnitude, cost and relative inefficiency of research ask for deep
reflections about its quality, priorities and methods. 3- In recent years, conscience of
these problems has grown and valuable initiatives have been developed to approach
them, both from new orientations of clinical practice and its organization and also from
changes in research aims and methods. 4- It is to be hoped that these initiatives may
achieve successful results in the difficult years to come, but this is still an open issue.
Big challenges are raised for clinicians, researchers, teachers, politicians and any other
person with a public responsibility.