Medical is the branch of science that studies the health and disease of humans, animals, plants and other living things. The study of medicine includes anatomy (the structure of the body), biochemistry (the study of chemical components) and pharmacology (the study of drugs and their effects). Other branches of medicine include endocrinology (the study of hormones), pathology (the study of diseases) and radiology (the study of x-rays and other radiation and their impact on living organisms).
Medical professionals must be familiar with an entire lexicon of terms that can seem like a foreign language to those not in the field. This language is called medical terminology and it forms the foundation of healthcare communication. Learning this vocabulary is a requirement for almost all health professions.
A medical school curriculum is often very rigorous and requires many years of study to graduate. During that time, students are required to memorize an immense amount of information and undergo intense training. In addition, the specialized vocabulary is a necessary tool to ensure that all parties involved in healthcare are communicating effectively and minimizing the chance of miscommunication or errors during patient care.
The first step in the medical decision-making process begins with gathering a patient’s history. This typically involves a list of symptoms and their duration as well as a family history. A physician then analyzes the data and may consult with specialists in that particular field to gain more insight. A diagnosis is then made and documented in the patient’s medical record.
Treatments are then administered depending on the diagnosis. Some treatments are non-invasive, while others require surgery or other invasive procedures. Non-invasive therapies typically involve medication or lifestyle modifications to help with the symptoms of a condition. Surgical procedures are used to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and are usually more invasive than non-surgical treatments.
Approximately 98 000 people die each year due to healthcare-associated infections. These occur when medical items are not properly cleaned or when staff forget to wash their hands before touching a patient. To prevent these infections, hospitals are required to follow strict protocols including ensuring that all staff members are adequately trained, utilizing proper handwashing techniques and cleaning equipment, and that the hospital environment is free of contaminants such as bacteria and viruses. Despite these efforts, infections continue to be a leading cause of death in the United States and other developed nations. Research continues to seek solutions for these dangerous and costly illnesses. A recent focus has been on improving the quality of care through reducing patient harm, which is measured by the number and severity of adverse events such as falls, infections and medical errors. In an attempt to reduce these adverse events, healthcare providers are using evidence-based practice guidelines, randomized trials and patient feedback to guide their decision-making processes. This is intended to ensure that all patients receive the best possible care for their specific conditions.