Scientific knowledge in medicine: a new clinical epistemology?

Technological developments in the field of communications have widened access to research evidence and, as a result, scientific epistemology is in the ascendancy in the area of medical knowledge. This has been the subject of vigorous debate within the medical profession itself, with many opposing the increasing weight given to research evidence at the expense of expert opinion. Medicine has a professional culture which identifies knowledge with particular individuals - a 'person culture'. Much of the authority of physicians derives from the presumption that medical professionals have privileged access to medical knowledge. Scientific epistemology, on the other hand, identifies knowledge with a process of investigation. The esoteric knowledge to which expert individuals claim privileged access has no currency in this process. Because of this, the rise of scientific epistemology in medicine partially undermines the profession's authority. Access to scientific research evidence can be used to undermine the individual authority of professional experts. Illustrative examples are given of the nature of debate within a 'person culture' and of ways in which research evidence has been used to challenge the authority of physicians.