The practice of medicine has evolved significantly over time, from a more holistic to a reductionist or mechanistic approach. This paper briefly traces the history of medicine and the transition to quantitative medicine, which has enabled more personalized and targeted treatments, and improved understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of disease. However, this shift has also presented some challenges and criticisms, including the danger of losing sight of the patient as a unique, whole individual. This paper explores the underlying principles and key contributions of quantitative medicine, as well as the context for its rise, including the development of new technologies and the influence of reductionist philosophies. The challenges and criticisms of this approach, and the need to balance reductionist and holistic approaches in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of human health will be discussed. Ultimately, by integrating insights from philosophy, physics, and other fields, we may be able to develop new and innovative approaches that bridge the gap between reductionism and holism and improve patient outcomes with the new "quantitative holism."
Keywords: Medicine; evolution; holism; philosophy; quantitative medicine.
© The Author(s) 2023.