[The value basis of future medicine].

The aim of this article is to propose a way of structuring the values that should constitute the basis of future medical practice, starting with the values that are common in contemporary medical practice. First, medicine must acknowledge that human worth is inviolable. This leads to activities aimed at strengthening autonomy as well as protecting the weak and vulnerable aspects of human life. Second, medicine must be based on sound professional practice. Medical knowledge should be developed by scientific means, but not only by biomedical methods. The fundamentally stochastic nature of medicine must be acknowledged. The third set of values relates to equity in the access to medical care. Services for the weakest among us should have high priority. Finally, medical practice has to be predictable and transparent.