2009-The Physician of the Future English and Catalan

F UNDACIÓN E DUCACIÓN M ÉDICA (FEM) 40 1.6. New roles: case manager and caretaker According to Tudor Hart, modern medicine has exchanged early mortality for chronic morbidity. Nowadays, the major causes of death at early ages have been eradicated thanks to preventive and therapeutic measures. Life expectancy of the population has increased considerably and chronic diseases, most of them multi-factorial and incurable, have become the major medical problems. $is situation poses new challenges to physicians, who are specially trainedtodeale#cientlywithacuteandcurableconditionsbutinsu#ciently prepared to confront the multiple chronic conditions that a'ect aged patients and for which the doctor lacks e'ective curative measures. With these training limitations, doctors o%en provide inconsistent and fragmented care in situations that require quite the contrary.