The medical treatment of people includes diagnosis, prognosis and cure of diseases and injury. It also involves non-surgical and surgical procedures to help maintain health, improve function or restore a person’s normal body processes. It is generally carried out by a physician, nurse or other health professional. Medical science has improved standards of living and shifted the burden of illness from acute, infectious conditions to chronic disorders. Advances in medicine such as antibiotics and vaccines have enabled doctors to treat a wide range of illnesses that were previously untreatable. However, these advances have often resulted in ‘halfway technologies’ that prolong life but do not cure the underlying disease, such as long-term renal dialysis for kidney failure and antiretroviral medicines that extend survival with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The aim of modern medicine is to reduce mortality and morbidity while enhancing the quality of human life. This approach is known as patient-centred care and is based on the principle that patients are central to the decision-making process for their own medical treatment.
A doctor or other health professional will explain the benefits, risks and side effects of all available treatments to a patient. The patient may then choose the treatment option that best meets his or her needs, values and preferences. Patients are encouraged to discuss practical matters such as how different treatments will affect their lifestyle and what the treatment choices will cost.
Medical treatment is a learned profession that draws upon a rich tradition of empirical observation and experimentation, as well as theoretical models of the body and disease. It is an intellectual discipline that incorporates a philosophy of humanism, the scientific method and the concept of evidence-based practice. The field of medicine is undergoing rapid and profound change, driven by the need to address the health threats posed by an increasingly complex world.
Many people find the information and decisions involved in their medical treatment daunting. They also worry that doctors don’t listen to them or take their concerns seriously. In some countries, medical schools are now teaching the ‘five rights of patients’: right to know (information about the treatment being offered), right to be involved in decisions, right to consent, right to privacy and right to respect for persons.
There are many types of medical treatment and each has its own specialties. For example, general medicine is the first port-of-call for most people with non-emergency health problems. This type of medicine covers all the major organ systems including the skin. It also includes medical genetics, medical nutrition and gynecology (often abbreviated to obstetrics and gynaecology in American English or OB/GYN in British English). Other specialist fields include cardiology, oncology and pediatrics. In addition, there is medical psychiatry, which deals with the biological, psychological and social causes of mental illness. And there is aerospace medicine, which addresses the health hazards of space and aviation travel.