After a fairly heated but insightful discussion about preventive medicine, one of my mentors stated that a belief system (based, of course, on values) shapes the very lens by which you view the world and how you allocate resources. He noted that we could spend $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) saved on a screening test, immunize a few hundred children, or decide, instead, to put up more roadside barriers or rumble strips on the freeway. I have known and accepted this concept for the purposes of political or social priorities but I had not applied the same principle towards the medical model.
Societal values shape the very means by which we celebrate the good catches (high sensitivity), malign the misses (poor specificity), or find a balance with how we spend our time and effort. Personal values shape the day-to-day decisions as well.
