Medicine has been divided into different sub branches and disciplines for the past few hundred years. If we think of Medicine as a tree, there are major branches like Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Surgery and Psychiatry. Then there are smaller branches like Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedic Surgery, etc. Then there are leaves at the end of this ramifications called sub specialties like Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, etc,. This system of classifications has benefits and limitations. The benefit is that the expert of each branch knows their area of practice very well. The limitation is that the real patient is a combination of all these systems and many multi-system diseases fall over multiple areas of specialties.
The new age of medicine, and science in general, is interdisciplinary and it means that there is a marriage of the knowledge from different disciplines. There is no more separation of different branches of science. Added to this concept is the alliance between traditional science and medicine with conventional science and medicine. This can be considered an alliance between Eastern and Western medicine. This is a common sense solution to human ailment: If there is a way to help patient, why not use it? Why should the boundaries of these classifications or pre-judgments of their practitioners prevent patients from reaching their proper treatments? Many may be worried about the unknown side effects of non conventional treatments. The fact is, the Eastern medicine traditions have been in use for a few thousands of years and common sense says that the dangerous methods must have been tested and documented by now.
In the Multidisciplinary model of care specialists of different branches would team up to add different points of views to the same condition. This gives a comprehensive view to the condition and helps to achieve a better understanding of a patient’s treatment.
The circle of care is a newer concept by which all health practitioners involved with a patient connect to provide a non interrupted flow of information and care for patient.
In summary, the new age of medicine in moving towards joining disciplines instead of separating them. Human body and mind is one connected unit and it is no more wise to separate the disciplines that take care of this connected unit.
