Medical progress is increasingly being determined by developments in research, both in basic biology and in medical practice itself, as well as by progress in medical technologies that are mainly based on scientific developments. The amount of knowledge required to practice continues to increase, while at the same time acquired knowledge is constantly being challenged. As a result, specialization has become essential, the associated science and practice of medicine have an increasing tendency to be fragmented into relatively autonomous sectors, and the technical bases of medical intervention p |