Essay about The Decline in the Patient - Physician Relationship

Despite the idea of physicians as, by definition, healers, they often play an unbalanced role in the patient-doctor relationship. Doctors may have a disproportionate amount of power in their relationship with the patient; a patient's life may literally be in their hands. The patient-doctor relationship thus often manifests as a microcosm of a wider hierarchy of medicine present in today's healthcare system. Even small things, like a doctor’s white coat, can reinforce this hierarchy; patients view doctors who wear a white coat as having greater authority and expertise (Boutin-Foster, Foster, & Konopasek,

Throughout the history of medicine there has always been a need for shared commitment to ideals of moral, ethical and humane practice. The Hippocratic Oath, created by a compilation of works largely based on Hippocrates, has always stood as guidelines for the conduct of physicians. The Classical oath has and continues to serve well in preserving the sanctity of the medical profession while developing a basis for the respectful treatment of patients. However, this out-dated oath is not equipped to handle the modern trials and tribulations faced by physicians and health care in general. Many of its principles are simply unrealistic and inapplicable in today’s society. For this reason a revised version of the oath was written. As I will

Although all honorable doctors do their best to uphold the Hippocratic Oath, doctors unwittingly go against it when they emotionally detach themselves from their patients; therefore, they create unintended harm.

Included in the Hippocratic Oath, the Declaration of Geneva, and the American Medical Association’s articulations of the responsibilities of a physician, include the phrases “free from harm”, “health of the patient first consideration” and “obligation to relieve pain and suffering”.

In 5th century BCE, a Greek philosopher named Hippocrates wrote the phrase “I will not give a drug that is deadly to anyone if asked [for it], nor will suggest the ways to such a counsel”(Miles, 2004). This passage is apart of a written document that is now known as the Hippocratic Oath (Appendix A). The philosophers of ancient Greece were aware of the medical predicaments that a physician would ultimately face while practicing medicine. Today, the oath has become an ethical code for the physicians to uphold and apply in their profession. Why is this phrase important enough to be included in this document? Some view this passage as the code that prohibits physicians from lending their abilities for the executions of prisoners. Others

1. Attention Material: The Hippocratic Oath proclaims “I will keep the sick from harm and injustice. I will

So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time. However, should I transgress this Oath and violate it, may the opposite be my fate. This is a fragment of a vow known as the Hippocratic oath, which doctors take on when they are about to become physicians. This oath serves not only as a guideline of what is expected of them but also sets up a sort of boundary for the actions regarding their patients. This oath furthermore impedes doctors from having inhumane treatment or even attempt in most instances actions that benefit their own agenda instead of their patients. Of course this in itself is a

Although the Hippocratic Oath is generally upheld within modern medicinal practices, in many cases people of different culture or socioeconomic statuses are not treated to the level they are due; therefore, there is an inequity of care within the US, contradicting the oath that professionals claim to abide by.

Traditional doctors prescribe their patients all types of drugs to treat conditions and diseases. Most people trust their physicians to give them the best care possible, but many doctors prescribe and recommend medications based on their relationship with a company. Pharmaceutical companies pay doctors or even provide meals, in exchange for meetings and education. In an article from Time Magazine from September 18, 2014, Your Doctor Should Reveal Biases and Pharma Ties, Says Group, author Alexandra Sifferlin explains the issue with these relationships. Sifferlin uses ethos, logos, pathos, and links to respectable websites to convince readers that patients should be made aware by their physicians of ties pharmaceutical companies and their positions of controversial practices.

reject such a life (Tomasini, 2014). Third, the Hippocratic Oath is an oath taken by all medical

It is sworn by any doctor before he/she provides help to the patients ("Hippocrates," Encyclopedia). The “Hippocratic Oath” was developed over 2,000 years ago and is a pledge to patients that you will keep them from harm’s way. The oath pledges a physician to “serve only the benefit of the patient, and to keep confidential anything he/she sees or hears in the course of treatment” ("Hippocrates," World ). The physician basically promises to the patient that they will keep to themselves what happens during treatment and will only do things that are beneficial to the patient. This oath is still used today because of how significant everyone thought it was. Obviously this is a positive attribution to society back then and today. The “Hippocratic Oath” is by far the most important out of the Hippocratic Collection because of its popularity and importance (Jayaswal 421). Overall, the “Hippocratic Oath” was one of the great accomplishments of Hippocrates and one of the most positive changes that has happened to this

When reading through the standards of the Hippocratic Oath, they fall in line with many moral things that any normal human should follow when dealing with others. But, since this is a health care profession where you deal with people daily, more emphasis are put on us. Medical professionals must follow through with each of these steps thoroughly to ensure patient care is being met. Most importantly when the Oath states "remember that there is art to medicine as well as science", it reflects on how different people view medicine/science differently because it is an art, and can be interpreted in different ways. This can come in the form of differently cultural remedies, or religions that choose or deny medical care depending on their faith.

A little over two weeks ago I, along with my entire medical school class, recited the sacred Hippocratic Oath as a promise to our friends, peers and community at large that I will practice the art of medicine in the most honorable and respectable manner, solely for the good of man. While the values that we as fellow students and colleagues appreciate may vary, I do believe we share a good portion of them. The following are a series of qualities and virtues that I hold close to my heart and intend to uphold as I begin my life-long journey of learning and healing in the field of medicine:

The Hippocratic Oath is an oath taken by any medical care professional to ensure the protection of all life, the holding of one's teachings in the highest regards, the recognizing of one's limitations, and the renouncement of self-interest in the treatment of patients. The significance of the Hippocratic Oath does not occur in its guidelines, but rather, in its symbolism of the ideal: the selfless dedication to the preservation of human life, as stated by the University of Ottawa. The Hippocratic Oath has influenced the establishment of many ethical codes over the centuries. The Hippocratic Oath is an ethical code for doctors dating back to ancient Greece; it is unclear if he created the oath himself, but the oath was thought to be modeled and created after the beliefs of Hippocrates, the father of medicine.

The Hippocratic Oath is credited to Hippocrates, a Greek physician of the 5th century B.C., who is also known as the father of Modern medicine. Controversy over the person who exactly wrote it and its age persists. Nevertheless, the Oath is still used in modern medicine. The Hippocratic oath is a declaration taken by numerous medical students at the time of graduating, swearing to practice medicine in a just and ethical way. The oath is taken during the graduation ceremony and involves medical students declaring their commitment to assume various medical responsibilities and obligations (Sritharan et al. 1440). Why should graduating medical students take the Hippocratic Oath? The Oath is as important today as it was centuries ago although critics feel that it should be discarded in favor of other models such as Dr. Pellegrino’s Precepts (Woodbury 12).