[Health Column] The Scientific and Artistic Aspects of Medical Care

[Asia Economy] When praising the eternity of art, we often quote the saying, "Life is short, and art is long." However, there is an interpretation that this phrase was originally said by Hippocrates to encourage the diligent study of medicine. At that time, medicine was considered an art, and medical practice was regarded as an art with significant differences depending on each individual doctor. Since then, medicine has developed into a discipline based on science.

The scientific aspect of medical care refers to evidence-based medicine. Doctors must be able to explain 'why' certain tests, diagnoses, and treatments are performed through formalized, quantified, and statistical evidence. To answer the question 'why,' they present morphological data such as fractures or herniated discs, explain abnormal values in blood test results, and provide statistical evidence for the necessity of imaging in cases of sudden and severe headaches. It is true that these scientific test data have brought about remarkable advances in medicine.

The artistic aspect of medicine refers to situations where different outcomes arise depending on the treating doctor, similar to an artist's creativity. Even when treating patients with the same symptoms, diagnoses may vary depending on the doctor, and consequently, treatments may differ as well. This tendency is especially strong in relatively unexplored fields like pain medicine. From surgeries to simple procedures and even intravenous injections, outcomes vary according to the doctor's skill. This is a very good example illustrating the artistic aspect of medical care. The results differ greatly depending on how the diagnosis was made, how the medication was administered, and how the procedure was performed. In this way, the individual differences among doctors in deciding the 'how' determine the artistry of medicine.

Modern medicine encompasses both scientific and objective aspects as well as artistic and subjective aspects. Scientific tests provide objective evidence, but there are many causes of disease that do not appear in scientific tests. If only the scientific aspect is valued absolutely, treatment cannot be provided for abnormalities not revealed during testing, and pain without morphological abnormalities cannot be treated. On the other hand, test data greatly help doctors make more accurate diagnoses and treatments. In addition, doctors apply their expertise to detect abnormalities not revealed by tests, thereby enhancing treatment effectiveness. Therefore, both doctors and patients must harmoniously utilize the strengths and weaknesses of both aspects. Patients should not wander from hospital to hospital repeating numerous tests in search of evidence of 'abnormalities' despite a doctor's diagnosis of no abnormalities in test results, nor should they miss cause investigations by obsessively searching for a skillful doctor.

Many modern people believe that artificial intelligence will be able to replace medical care in the future. This reflects strong trust in data analyzed by machines. Nevertheless, one cannot help but question whether medical care with a reduced role for doctors can be the best option. To build a good house, it is important to have evidence for 'why' certain building materials should be used. However, even with the same materials, the results vary significantly depending on 'who and how' the house is built. Just as nails and carpenters are both important to build a good house, both scientific evidence and the doctor's expertise, which can be called the artistry of medicine, are important for the best treatment outcomes.

Park Yongseok, Director of Haengbok Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Clinic

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.