Treating real people: Science and humanity
Loughlin, Michael; Mercuri, Mathew; Parvan, Alexandra; Copeland, Samantha Marie; Tonelli, Mark; Buetow, Stephen
Original version
Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice. 2018, 24 919-929.Abstract
Something important is happening in applied, interdisciplinary research,
particularly in the field of applied health research. The vast array of papers
in this edition are evidence of a broad change in thinking across an
impressive range of practice and academic areas. The problems of
complexity, the rise of chronic conditions, over-diagnosis, co- and multimorbidity are serious and challenging, but we are rising to that
challenge. Key conceptions regarding science, evidence, disease, clinical
judgement, health and social care, are being revised and their relationships
reconsidered: boundaries are indeed being redrawn; reasoning is being
made 'fit for practice'. Ideas like 'person-centred care' are no longer
phrases with potential to be helpful in some yet-to-be-clarified way:
theorists and practitioners are working in collaboration to give them
substantive import and application.