Enthralled by Research

There is always a concern that medical research not be indulged in merely to learn knew things, but that it should first concentrate on things that are of help to the patient. From the book, Hospital: An Oral History of Cook County Hospital comes this quote:

Then there's how medical science works. We had another site visit, and at one point this mean-spirited site inspector said, "You all have to understand, NCI [National Cancer Institute] funds research to stop cancer, it doesn't provide patient care." And another doctor, Richard Cooper, said, "Maybe that's why the rate of cancer has gone up."

Overly simplified? Yes. But worth remembering.

Lewis, S (1994). Hospital: An Oral History of Cook County Hospital. NY: The New Press.