Helping You Make the Best Medical Decisions
Keeping the Art and Science of Medicine together
Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability
- William Osler
"Every science touches art at some points every art has its scientific side; the worst man of science is he who is never an artist, and the worst artist is he who is never a man of science. In early times, medicine was an art, which took its place at the side of poetry and painting; today they try to make a science of it, placing it beside mathematics, astronomy, and physics."
-Armand Trousseau, Lectures on Clinical Medicine
This is an ongoing debate and am sure will continue for a long time. At Knowurture we needed to give our perspective so that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of where we stand.
We have faced this question at various forums in different forms;
From physicians ... "The diagnostic support system, which you provide, is doing my job,...I am not sure if I should use it, then whats my job? "
Patients and family care providers ... "But will the doctor accept the fact I used a technology to know more about my condition? will I not be ridiculed for Googling?"
Technology evangelists and health portal entrepreneurs ..."Health care providers resist change, they feel all technology solutions are undermining the importance of human aspects of medical practice"
Science is the attempt to describe nature...so that the description has the same validity for every individual, while art as concerned chiefly with human interactions, feelings, sensations, ideas, and making meaningful connections laterally and holistically.
Disease...is a dynamic process affecting the vital process of the whole individual ...still remains far beyond scientific comprehension...as a totality. The cause, cure and management are in the realm of uncertain. Cure is always individual, never generalized a specific cure for a disease does not, and cannot exist, since no two cases of the same disease, are ever the same.
At Knowurture we understand that medicine is both an art and science and will never attempt to undermine the value of expertise. We use technology as an enabler to a physician to help him / her do the best for his patient.