The effect of Context in Healthcare; A Programming Study

Healthcare in the 20th century is characterised, inter alia, by rapid developments in the therapeutic field. Despite the growth in therapeutic possibilities, there does not, in general, appear to be a one-to-one relationship between a medical intervention and its therapeutic effects. This is because, in addition to specific effects of physical or pharmacological interventions and the natural course of complaints and diseases, all kinds of non-specific therapeutic effects also occur within the healing process. These effects appear to be responsible for a considerable proportion of the therapeutic effects and therefore make a positive contribution to the practice of healthcare. Thus it is not only the nature of a medical treatment but also the manner and the setting in which that treatment takes place that impact on the health of the patient concerned.