Refining Vascular Care Through Science Without Losing the Art

The science of medicine involves the incorporation of data from evidence-based medicine (collecting, analyzing, conducting clinical trials), medical knowledge (learned patterns of health and disease), diagnostic testing (objective evidence), treatment protocols (guidelines based on scientific evidence and/or expert consensus), and pharmacology (prescribing safely and effectively). The art of medicine involves clinical judgment (learn to interpret clinical signs, symptoms, and histories often relying on intuition and gut feelings), bedside manner (understanding patient needs), customization of care (artistic touch to meet each person's unique circumstances including values, preferences, and social determinants of health), complex decision-making (decision-making based on experience or expertise when confronted with limited or conflicting data), and managing uncertainty (making decisions keeping "doors open" when faced with limited objective confirmation). The delivery of healthcare is not "either science or art" but rather "both science and art" proposition. So, how do we wrestle with this potential paradox?