Social science & medicine
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Social science & medicine · Oct 1992
ReviewSociology in American medical education since the 1960s: the rhetoric or reform.
Despite recommendations by medical reformers that medical sociology be included in the curriculum, there is currently little evidence of a far-reaching integration of sociological perspectives in American medical education. Yet, support for the relevance of sociological knowledge has since the late 1960s helped to diffuse external pressures for change in health care and medical education. ⋯ However, the more recent interest in medical ethics has to some degree transformed medicine's educational agenda and the definition of medical 'human values'. Whereas the rhetorical expropriation of medical sociology primarily has concerned medicine's responsibility vis-à-vis society as a whole, the new medical ethics education signifies a return to a more individualistically oriented medical morality.
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Social science & medicine · Oct 1992
Comparative StudyPrimary care in accident and emergency and general practice: a comparison.
This paper reviews the way in which literature describing 'inappropriate' attenders at Accident and Emergency (A & E) departments in Britain has suggested that they could be provided for in General Practice and that their attendance at A & E departments therefore implies a 'failure' of general practice in urban areas. One problem with much previous research is that 'inappropriate' attenders have been retrospectively identified. ⋯ Patients attending the hospital A & E department were similar to the GP attenders in terms of socio-economic indicators, but had problems which were not typical of the general practice workload and were in different circumstances. The results suggest that there will be a continuing demand for hospital-provided primary care in urban areas, and that attempts to deflect such care to the community will meet with limited success.