Worse than the disease : pitfalls of medical progress /

Developments in modern medicine have led to increasing specialization and narrowly applied innovations. A product of a multidisciplinary project based at the Stanford University School of Medicine, this book is an attempt to overcome this restricted view of medicine by examining the social, ethical, and economic dilemmas posed by four recent innovations: the drug DES, the artificial heart, the swine flu immunization program, and genetic engineering. Dutton (Stanford University School of Medicine) and the other contributors endeavor to present, from a broad interdisciplinary perspective, the central policy questions and issues raised by these innovations; and they offer insightful analysis and conclusions. Unlike the confined assessment of medical innovations made by similar works, this book represents a welcome cultivation of a variety of viewpoints with poignant distillation. This work is written in a style that bridges the gap between the specialist and the concerned public, and it is enhanced with thorough chapter notes. An important reference for all academic audiences interested in the politics and delivery of medical care. -J. D. Campbell, University of Missouri--Columbia