Medical State of Mind - Health Works Collective

Medicine has gradually been drawn into a state of mind where legalese and bureaucracy have replaced medical and scientific results. “Evidence based medicine” has surpassed scientific results, or empirical outcomes as the arbiter for treatment choice. Anecdotal clinical opinion has been replaced by ‘hearsay’, and humans are enhanced or even replaced at times by machines.

Evidence Based Medicine can best be graphically modeled by the ‘evidence pyramid’ a term borrowed from the food pyramid:

The pyramid best outlines the progress in medicine, and the addition of 4 new levels of critical analysis of treatments.

Clinical medicine is never stationary,nor should it be, without which there would be no progress.

Has blogging enhanced medical practice? I say yes, and the evidence is the exponential use of the social media, which allow practitioners to share knowledge on a daily basis, not only in science, and clinical practice, but in the management of medical business. It can be accomplished from the office, home, even on the street. The same resources are present almost no matter where you are working.

3D imaging is becoming available which will enhance mobile CT, MRI, and Optical Coherence Tomography and remote telemedical applications.

Nanotechnology is now better understood and wishful ideas about it’s applications are becoming a reality in drug delivery systems, manufacturing of better, stronger and more durable products. These will slowly infiltrate our biomedical devices in the operating room, endoscopic equipment and electronic equipment, including computers.

Physicians and patients alike will have another ‘gee-whiz’ device.

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