title: Have we lost our way?
abstract: There are many serious problems that beset society in general and medicine in particular. Some are related to the social and economic revolution that currently involves the world and will necessarily affect the practice of surgery. There is considerable evidence to indicate that one of the main battlefronts in this revolution is the practice of surgery. A review of five aspects of our current professional life has emphasized the complexity and significance of the problems with which we are confronted. It would seem that we are responsible for some of these problems and the associated confusion. In many instances, and perhaps most, it would appear that our problems and the related attempts at their solution have developed with the planning and help of other political, social, and legal groups, and often to their advantage but to the disadvantage of our patients and us. In our effort to find solutions to these problems, a vicious cycle has been established which, in turn, has produced deleterious effects and the impairment of surgical practice. As changes have been introduced in rapid succession, confusion and frustration have occurred. To eliminate confusion, committees have been appointed to solve the problems. In most instances the solutions developed by committees produced more problems which, in turn, required the appointment of still more committees which also created problems along with the development of their solutions. Consequently, the pace of academic and hospital functions has progressively increased to the point that a professional time and energy drain has been created. As the professional energy drain has increased, there has been a decrease in patient care and a breakdown of the system provided to supply this care, due in large measure to the erosion of the surgeon's time by administrative, committee, and various other nonprofessional activities. With the breakdown of hospital surgical practice, a loss of direction and a loss of control have developed.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D013502:General Surgery / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents