What is Medical?
Medical is an area of knowledge which aims to understand and explain health and disease, and how the human body works. It includes the fields of anatomy, physiology and pathology, with overlapping aspects of biochemistry, microbiology and molecular biology.
It also includes allied disciplines such as pharmacology, clinical chemistry and radiology. These disciplines study various parts of the body and how they work, or in the case of pharmacology, study drugs and their effects on the human body.
The field of medicine is vast and diverse, covering every conceivable condition, illness and injury. It is therefore important for all involved in the field to use a uniform set of terms to communicate with each other. This enables doctors and nurses to understand each other, and reduces the risk of miscommunication which can lead to mistakes in diagnosis and treatment. Medical terminology is taught in most undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare courses, and is a requirement for many careers in the healthcare industry.
Medical is also the name of several organisations and institutions, including medical schools, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, private practice groups and research centres. Some have a specific focus, such as the Royal College of Physicians or the American Academy of Dermatology. Others have a more general role, such as the World Health Organization or the American Heart Association.
Throughout history, the development of medical knowledge has been driven by many factors. Some of these have been cultural, such as the use of herbs for healing and the belief in the Greek concept of humorism. Other factors have been technological, such as the introduction of vaccination (Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine in the 18th century) or the advent of antibiotics in the 20th century. In modern times, medical knowledge is driven by scientific and empirical research which aims to produce testable and reproducible results.
A key challenge for the medtech sector is striking the right balance between these 3 objectives. This is complex, and will require all stakeholders to work together to drive the right change for patients.
How interesting an article about medical is depends on the readership and the purpose of the piece. Some readers and publications prefer lists of facts, while others are looking for thought-provoking or inspiring articles. Medical writers need to consider these factors when planning their writing. They must also consider the format of the piece they are writing, whether it is a short news story, an in-depth feature or a profile of a researcher studying a new treatment. The final shape of an article may not be known until it is written, but even then the writer can influence how interesting it will be by planning carefully how to present the information.
Medical is an area of knowledge which aims to understand and explain health and disease, and how the human body works. It includes the fields of anatomy, physiology and pathology, with overlapping aspects of biochemistry, microbiology and molecular biology. It also includes allied disciplines such as pharmacology, clinical chemistry and radiology. These disciplines study various parts of the body and how they work, or in the case of pharmacology, study drugs and their effects on the human body. The field of medicine is vast and diverse, covering every conceivable condition, illness and injury. It is therefore important for all involved in the field to use a uniform set of terms to communicate with each other. This enables doctors and nurses to understand each other, and reduces the risk of miscommunication which can lead to mistakes in diagnosis and treatment. Medical terminology is taught in most undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare courses, and is a requirement for many careers in the healthcare industry. Medical is also the name of several organisations and institutions, including medical schools, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, private practice groups and research centres. Some have a specific focus, such as the Royal College of Physicians or the American Academy of Dermatology. Others have a more general role, such as the World Health Organization or the American Heart Association. Throughout history, the development of medical knowledge has been driven by many factors. Some of these have been cultural, such as the use of herbs for healing and the belief in the Greek concept of humorism. Other factors have been technological, such as the introduction of vaccination (Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine in the 18th century) or the advent of antibiotics in the 20th century. In modern times, medical knowledge is driven by scientific and empirical research which aims to produce testable and reproducible results. A key challenge for the medtech sector is striking the right balance between these 3 objectives. This is complex, and will require all stakeholders to work together to drive the right change for patients. How interesting an article about medical is depends on the readership and the purpose of the piece. Some readers and publications prefer lists of facts, while others are looking for thought-provoking or inspiring articles. Medical writers need to consider these factors when planning their writing. They must also consider the format of the piece they are writing, whether it is a short news story, an in-depth feature or a profile of a researcher studying a new treatment. The final shape of an article may not be known until it is written, but even then the writer can influence how interesting it will be by planning carefully how to present the information.