Most providers treasure their ability to care for patients. The joy derived from the provider–patient relationship remains intact despite additional individuals (., employers, insurers, benefit managers, billing and collection specialists, utilization reviewers, etc.) and regulations interposed by the current evolution of health care. Additionally, providers appear to be accommodating to longer-term alterations that materially affect overall patient– provider relationships. One feature of the changing relationship is increasing patient autonomy. Many factors likely have assisted this societal change, but the extraordinary impact of readily available medical information on the Internet certainly plays a role. . | Most providers treasure their ability to care for patients. Thejoy derived from the provider-patient relationship remains intact despite additional individuals . employers insurers benefit managers billing and collection specialists utilization reviewers etc. and regulations interposed by the current evolution of health care. Additionally providers appear to be accommodating to longer-term alterations that materially affect overall patientprovider relationships. One feature of the changing relationship is increasing patient autonomy. Many factors likely have assisted this societal change but the extraordinary impact of readily available medical information on the Internet certainly plays a role. Concurrently the paternalistic care model marked by the interaction goal being determined by the provider the provider role being motivated by being a guardian alignment of patient values with the providers and patient acceptance of recommendations is waning. Providers continue the search to improve the science of health care while also seeking to improve the art of caring for patients. Indeed during this decade there has been notable progress in both the science and art of caring for women. Included in that progress is the long overdue scientific recognition that men and women are different. There is now scientific recognition of both therapeutic disparities attributable to gender as well as marked differences in gender inclusion in clinical trials. Additionally there is a renewed appreciation that women frequently have different symptoms risk factors and drug reactions than do men. For example recent changes making drug protocols more gender-specific and including women in major drug trials have reduced the disparity in treatment however the disparities are not yet eliminated. Advances in the art of medicine include acknowledgment of difference in the way the two sexes approach problems. This sociolinguistic gender difference in problem solving affects the 1 Copyright
