Progress in Medicine

This chapter reflects on the question, “Is medicine getting better?” The answer to the question depends, first, on what the core aims and competences of medicine are taken to be. This chapter discusses two positions on what the core aims and competences of medicine are. According to “medical nihilism,” intervening on diseases is the main aim of medicine. According to the “inquiry model of medicine,” the core competences of medicine are understanding and predicting diseases. Second, from whose perspective should the progress of medicine be evaluated? No matter whether one accepts medical nihilism or the inquiry model of medicine, it is important to consider how biases in medical research and clinical practice influence the progress of medicine. The chapter concludes by considering suggestions for promoting better medicine.