Problems in attempts to humanize medicine.

Abstract

Most attempts to humanize medicine have at best been temporary, barely touching the margins of medicine and sustained largely by their zealous advocates. Some of the major attempts to humanize medicine are reviewed and the possible reasons for their relative failure are, discussed. It is argued that the fundamental obstacle to the practice of humanistic medicine stems from the dichotomy existing between biological and psychosocial variables. Success in humanizing medicine is therefore dependent on whether these two variables can be united and on the level at which any attempt enters the health care system.