Why

Medicine moves with the times. We know that doctors want to move with it, and we’re here to support them. We want to change the relationship between doctors and patients, so that doctors feel confident in exploring solutions that aren’t part of traditional medicine, and patients feel empowered to make informed decisions about their care.

The problem with traditional medicine

As clinicians, we want our patients to have the best possible care. Until recently we’ve used a traditional medical model to try and achieve that. While the model has its uses, it’s becoming more and more clear that it isn’t enough.

While medicine is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, a growing number of doctors and patients are questioning whether modern medicine has over-stretched itself. Too much emphasis on this traditional model is a problem for lots of reasons – in particular:

1. It encourages clinicians to detach themselves and take a scientific approach to their patients’ health needs, putting them into simplistic categories of medical ‘problems’. 
2. More is expected of the model than it can deliver – there is too much pressure on traditional medical solutions because of increased dependency on healthcare services, and over-investigation, over-diagnosis and over-treatment. 
3. It encourages clinicians to specialise in medical areas, leading to less emphasis on the interactions between different medical areas and the other factors that influence people’s health, such as social and psychological aspects.

Changing relationships

Some doctors are already trying to change their relationships with patients, to listen more carefully to their stories and work alongside them, sharing information about diagnoses and options for treatment, and offering more personalised care and support.

How will Rethinking Medicine help?

Rethinking Medicine aims to bring together the various programmes that are already happening to change medicine. It doesn’t aim to duplicate what’s already going on, but instead to unify it and give it a much stronger voice, to make clinicians across the UK aware of what’s happening and how they can get involved.

What can I do next?