Traditionally, medicine has always been heavily anchored in the biomedical model of looking at patients and the treatment of diseases and illness. While the biomedical aspect is needed, one result of such a narrow focus is that the medical sector then discovers that while powerful, such an approach does not necessarily guarantee the best medical outcome. An example is the NHB study cited at the beginning of this section. In the medical profession, we are now getting better and better in the earlier detection of diseases. So it is far easier to "catch" someone at the earliest stage of diabetes and avoid end-stage renal failure with earlier intervention. But is it that easy?

Well, the healthcare professionals at NHG and the other healthcare institutions locally and worldwide are finding out that it is not so easy at all. Why? The human beings are not robots and hence cannot be "programmed" to follow instructions like robots. There maybe other things going on with their lives that may affect the way they see their illness and this may impact their decision-making on their health.