In the 21st century, French medical practice is sustained by new technolgies for diagnosis, treatment and data processing. Paradoxically, however, this progress, which should have favored the doctor-patient relationship, has often resulted in a poorer bedside manner (listening, dialogue, physical examination, etc.). Many foctors are responsible for this situation. The French National Academy of Medicine emphasizes that today as in the past, humanism is an essential aspect of medicine and that clinical practice is complementary to and inseparable from the technolgies it uses.