Generalism and specialism: Reasserting the value of specialist knowledge in an era of multimorbidity
Waqas Akhtar, Luigi Camporota · 2026
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Description
Waqas Akhtar and Luigi Camporota argue in a 2026 paper that specialist medical knowledge still matters greatly, even as generalist care expands. Health systems have pushed general skills because patients are older and often live with many conditions at once. At the same time, tests, drugs, and procedures keep growing more specialised.
The authors see the two approaches as partners, not rivals. Generalists give whole-person assessment, coordination, and continuity of care. Specialists provide advanced procedures and fine detail on single diseases, which high-risk patients often need. The challenge for training and staffing is balance: getting each patient the right expertise at the right time, rather than choosing one model over the other.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Waqas Akhtar, Luigi Camporota |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 7684 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |