Clinical physiology: an accepted branch of physiology

Clinical physiology is a branch of physiology particularly dealing with functional disturbances in disease (pathophysiology) and the integrated function of the human body in disease against the background of normal function in healthy subjects, suitable physiological methods for the study of patients--particularly for diagnostic purposes--as well as for research, and the education of medical students and laboratory assistants in these fields. Departments of clinical physiology in university hospitals form a bridge between basic physiology and many clinical specialties. Independent departments of clinical physiology developed early in Sweden due to the work of Professor Torgny Sjöstrand at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, and have been models of research, teaching and hospital organization which have been followed in several other countries. The International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) has recognized clinical physiology as a separate branch of physiology by approving a Commission of Clinical Physiology which has contributed to the programme of this and, we hope, future congresses, as well as promote the development of clinical physiology internationally.