The End of Modern Medicine: The Evolution of Disease and Transformations in Medical Practice

Abstract

This article explores the notion of what may be considered a growing disconnect between the epidemiology of disease and the structure of contemporary medical practice. The rising prominence of chronic illness, along with problems ranging from healthcare policy and delivery to diagnostic and treatment processes, is well documented. The purpose of this article is to connect these various dialogues to what seems to be a broader underlying shift in the landscape of contemporary health and medicine. Historically, medical perspectives and institutional structures evolved to match the causal model of infectious disease, with astounding success. We posit that the shifting complexities of chronic illness are effecting a shift in the nature of contemporary health relative to the practice of medicine that helps frame a spectrum of problems now facing the profession. Of particular importance is the need to explore emerging new horizons for the practice of healthcare in the future.