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Previous Volume 340:1283-1285 April 22, 1999 Number 16 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Like a number of geriatricians, I have come to believe that modern medicine does not work well for old people. Old patients serve as a mirror, reflecting the limitations and sometimes the absurdities of modern medicine. There are three areas that are particularly problematic for old people: the medicalization of everyday life, the primacy of diagnosis, and reimbursement for medical care.

The Medicalization of Everyday Life

In Medical Nemesis, Ivan Illich argued that medicine has expanded into almost all aspects of human existence.¹ All cultural and personal aspects of the struggles of life — growing up, raising children, and dealing with adversity, crime, sadness, ambition, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

The Primacy of Diagnosis

Reimbursement for Medical Care

Caring for the Elderly

Address reprint requests to Dr. Goodwin at the Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-0460, or at jsgoodwi@utmb.edu.

References

Related Letters:

Geriatrics and the Limits of Medicine
Weksler M. E., Goodwin J. S.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1999; 341:768-769, Sep 2, 1999. Correspondence

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