Monographias Humanitanes- La Profesion Medica: Los Retos del Milenio
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Notes
This original English version was commissioned from Spain and then translated into Spanish for publication. The paper was based on Eraut's DHSS funded review (with DuBoulay) of research into postgraduate medical education, and his ongoing research into professional knowledge. Its review of medical expertise in practice argues that the scope of evidence-based medicine is more limited than the public is encouraged to think. The role of tacitly acquired case-based experience is still of great importance. Decision-making under conditions of uncertainty requires close attention to the thinking involved in acquiring and combining different kinds of evidence and experience. Doctors' understandings of, and response to, patients' own perceptions of their illness and their treatment also have a significant effect on outcomes. This work has led to invitations to visit several medical schools and ongoing consultancy with the Royal College of Surgeons on the training of registrars.