MEDICINE IN SOCIETY. I. CHANGE AND CHALLENGE

Area of Science:

• Medical sociology
• Bioethics
• Health policy analysis

Background:

• The California Medical Education and Research Foundation (CMERF) Committee to Study the Role of Medicine convened to examine critical issues facing the medical profession.
• Dr. Watts' paper provided the foundational philosophical framework for the committee's deliberations.
• The study addresses a topic of significant interest and concern to California's medical community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the evolving dialogue between medicine and society.
• To identify and focus on key problems and issues within this relationship.
• To lay the groundwork for future research and reports on the societal role of medicine.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of the medicine-society interface.
• Committee discussions and study.
• Synthesis of background paper into a framework for further investigation.

Main Results:

• Dr. Watts' paper significantly influenced the committee's focus.
• The committee's attention was directed towards the ongoing interaction between medical practice and societal expectations.
• Key areas for future exploration were identified.

Conclusions:

• The committee's study is based on a robust philosophical foundation.
• The research is crucial for understanding the contemporary role of medicine in California.
• Further insights and findings will be presented in the Committee's Second Progress Report.