Humane Medicine (Paperback)

From the Publisher:
In the late twentieth century the impressive achievements of modern medicine are obvious, yet medicine seems to have failed to satisfy public expectation. Government regulation is tightening, health funding is a divisive political issue and medical complaints departments are increasingly busy. In the United States medical litigation has already reached alarming levels. Is there something wrong with medical research and practice? This book examines what it is that doctors do, and what patients expect of them. It finds that expectation and reality often diverge. Humane Medicine forcefully argues that more science cannot heal this rift, nor can better education in ethics. It argues that to foster better communication, medical teachers must change their philosophy and methods, so that value-laden issues in clinical medicine are interwoven with the necessary science. Professor Little outlines some possible ways to achieve this.In the late twentieth century the impressive achievements of modern medicine are obvious, yet medicine seems to have failed to satisfy public expectation. Government regulation is tightening, health funding is a divisive political issue and medical complaints departments are increasingly busy. In the United States medical litigation has already reached alarming levels. Is there something wrong with medical research and practice? This book examines what it is that doctors do, and what patients expect of them. It finds that expectation and reality often diverge. Humane Medicine forcefully argues that more science cannot heal this rift, nor can better education in ethics. It argues that to foster better communication, medical teachers must change their philosophy and methods, so that value-laden issues in clinical medicine are interwoven with the necessary science. Professor Little outlines some possible ways to achieve this.