An Overview of Interdisciplinary Research and Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Medicine has historically been built upon the discoveries of interdisciplinary research, yet modern clinical medicine has stagnated in its production of such research. This is despite multiple calls for interdisciplinary clinical medicine research from both inside and outside the discipline. Complex issues, such as those that physicians are recently facing, require complex solutions that cannot be achieved through the use of a single discipline. In order to promote interdisciplinary research, certain approaches need to change. Such changes include the reorganization of university department structures to prioritize interdisciplinary scholarship and create ‘translator’ positions to help bridge the knowledge gap between disciplines. This paper reviews how clinical medicine and interdisciplinary research are intertwined, assesses why there is a lack of interdisciplinary work within clinical medicine, and explores methods to encourage more collaboration between clinical medicine and other disciplines.