Viewing the Broader Outcome

The means [in medicine] are very impressive. But the outcomes sometimes aren’t. Part of that is nature of reductionistic science itself. When we narrow our focus of view to, “Did the patience die of heart disease after this bypass surgery?”, you may get one set of figures that looks really good. But when you look at all causes of mortality after a treatment, you may find that others may increase to balance out the benefit that you got. But the person in the profession who is focusing on the outcome in their little particular part of the world of medicine didn’t choose to look at that because it was outside their field of view. As a generalist, I am one of those who are supposed to called upon to look at a wider array of potential outcomes. When you look at that, you find that medicine, even in some of our cherished areas, has fallen short.


Excerpt from an interview with Dr. Terrell