Medicine Overview Quiz

Medicine

Medicine is the practice concerned with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease. It is designed to serve governments as a basis for planning health care that reaches individuals, families, and communities, with the goal of ensuring individuals obtain the maximum benefit from current knowledge and technology available for the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health.

Organization of Health Services

The organization of health services reflects a number of interrelated characteristics, among which the most obvious is the curative function, or caring for those already ill. The World Health Organization (WHO) at its 1978 international conference in the Soviet Union produced the Alma-Ata Declaration, which states that health, which is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, is a fundamental human right.

Levels of Health Care

In the curative domain, there are various forms of medical practice. They may be thought of generally as forming a pyramidal structure, with three tiers representing increasing degrees of specialization and technical sophistication but catering to diminishing numbers of patients.

1. Primary health care: This is the first level, which represents primary health care, or first contact care, at which patients have their initial contact with the health-care system. Primary health care is an integral part of a country’s health maintenance system, and it should be based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the developing countries.

   Primary health care is often provided by non-medically qualified personnel, and the vast majority of patients can be fully dealt with at this level.

2. Secondary health care: This is the second tier, which consists of referral services. Secondary health care often requires the technology offered by a local or regional hospital. Increasingly, however, the radiological and laboratory services provided by hospitals are available directly to the family doctor, improving their service to patients and increasing its range.

3. Tertiary health care: This is the third tier, which employs specialist services. These services are offered by institutions such as teaching hospitals and units devoted to the care of particular groups, such as women, children, patients with mental disorders, and so on.

Clinical Practice

Clinical practice involves health workers who work directly with patients in a hospital or other healthcare setting. Nurses, doctors, psychotherapists, and other specialists are all clinicians.

Biomedical Research

Biomedical research is a field of science that seeks ways to prevent and treat diseases that lead to illness or death. Biomedical scientists use biotechnology techniques to study biological processes and diseases, aiming to develop successful treatments and cures.

Medications

Medications include drugs or medicines and how to use them. Doctors and other health professionals use medications in the medical diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of disease.

Surgery

Surgical procedures are necessary for diagnosing and treating some types of disease, malformation, and injury. They use instrumental and manual means rather than medication.

Medical Devices

Health professionals use a wide range of instruments to diagnose and treat a disease or other condition, to prevent a worsening of symptoms, to replace a damaged part, such as a hip or a knee, and so on.

Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Alternative and complementary medicine includes practices that are not part of conventional medicine, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, art therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, and many more.

Research

Research is a crucial part of medicine, involving the use of scientific methods to investigate and understand various aspects of health and disease. Researchers use a variety of study designs, including clinical trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews.

Writing for Publication

Writing for publication is an essential part of the medical field, allowing researchers to share their findings and contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge. This involves writing a clear, concise, and well-structured article, following the guidelines of the journal to which it is submitted.

In summary, medicine is a diverse and complex field that encompasses a wide range of practices, from primary care to specialized treatments, and from basic research to translational research and clinical practice. It is a field that is constantly evolving, with new discoveries and advances being made all the time.