What Is Medical?
Medical is a field of knowledge about health, healing and disease. Practitioners of medicine include doctors, nurses and various other health professionals. Conventional modern medicine is sometimes called allopathic medicine, while alternative and complementary medicines are often referred to as homeopathy or herbal medicine.
The discipline of medicine includes a number of subfields such as acupuncture, clinical nutrition, physical therapy and psychotherapy, as well as general medical practice. The practice of medicine is governed by ethics, laws and regulations. Physicians may also choose to specialize in specific fields such as internal medicine, infectious diseases, geriatrics and gastroenterology. They may also choose to pursue further study in the areas of biomedical science such as molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and physiology.
Medications are an important tool for the diagnosis, treatment and cure of many conditions. They can be used to control pain, treat infection and replace missing tissue or organs. Medical procedures are necessary for the removal of impacted or herniated bowels and gallstones, to relieve appendicitis and to repair damaged spinal cords.
In addition to the traditional fields of medicine, there are numerous allied and support sciences. For example, pathology is the scientific study of diseases; cytology and histology are concerned with microscopic structures; biochemistry is the chemistry of living organisms; and epidemiology is the study of disease patterns in populations.
The scope of medical knowledge and understanding is constantly expanding as new discoveries are made about the human body and mind. These advances often lead to changes in medical practice and the development of new medications or devices. In recent decades, there has been a shift toward evidence-based medicine, which involves applying best practices based on current research and clinical experience. This approach to medicine is based on principles of respect for persons, nonmaleficence (“first do no harm”), justice and beneficence, as well as adherence to the ethical values of competence, transparency, accountability and informed consent. These principles are embodied in the Hippocratic Oath. Medical ethics have become increasingly important as a result of the ethical issues involved in the Doctors’ Trials at the Nuremberg trials, the Tuskegee syphilis experiment and other incidents of unethical or illegal activities by physicians. Informed consent refers to the process of educating patients about their condition and treatment options in order to enable them to make informed decisions. It is a fundamental part of the physician-patient relationship. Generally, this education process occurs during the initial office visit. This includes the gathering of history, symptoms, signs and laboratory or imaging findings as well as discussion of a treatment plan and referrals. This information is documented in the patient’s medical record. Follow-up visits are usually shorter but still involve a detailed history, examination and a discussion of treatment options. Some allied healthcare professionals may also be present during these discussions, depending on the situation. This may include nursing, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
Medical is a field of knowledge about health, healing and disease. Practitioners of medicine include doctors, nurses and various other health professionals. Conventional modern medicine is sometimes called allopathic medicine, while alternative and complementary medicines are often referred to as homeopathy or herbal medicine. The discipline of medicine includes a number of subfields such as acupuncture, clinical nutrition, physical therapy and psychotherapy, as well as general medical practice. The practice of medicine is governed by ethics, laws and regulations. Physicians may also choose to specialize in specific fields such as internal medicine, infectious diseases, geriatrics and gastroenterology. They may also choose to pursue further study in the areas of biomedical science such as molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and physiology. Medications are an important tool for the diagnosis, treatment and cure of many conditions. They can be used to control pain, treat infection and replace missing tissue or organs. Medical procedures are necessary for the removal of impacted or herniated bowels and gallstones, to relieve appendicitis and to repair damaged spinal cords. In addition to the traditional fields of medicine, there are numerous allied and support sciences. For example, pathology is the scientific study of diseases; cytology and histology are concerned with microscopic structures; biochemistry is the chemistry of living organisms; and epidemiology is the study of disease patterns in populations. The scope of medical knowledge and understanding is constantly expanding as new discoveries are made about the human body and mind. These advances often lead to changes in medical practice and the development of new medications or devices. In recent decades, there has been a shift toward evidence-based medicine, which involves applying best practices based on current research and clinical experience. This approach to medicine is based on principles of respect for persons, nonmaleficence (“first do no harm”), justice and beneficence, as well as adherence to the ethical values of competence, transparency, accountability and informed consent. These principles are embodied in the Hippocratic Oath. Medical ethics have become increasingly important as a result of the ethical issues involved in the Doctors’ Trials at the Nuremberg trials, the Tuskegee syphilis experiment and other incidents of unethical or illegal activities by physicians. Informed consent refers to the process of educating patients about their condition and treatment options in order to enable them to make informed decisions. It is a fundamental part of the physician-patient relationship. Generally, this education process occurs during the initial office visit. This includes the gathering of history, symptoms, signs and laboratory or imaging findings as well as discussion of a treatment plan and referrals. This information is documented in the patient’s medical record. Follow-up visits are usually shorter but still involve a detailed history, examination and a discussion of treatment options. Some allied healthcare professionals may also be present during these discussions, depending on the situation. This may include nursing, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.