Publication Date
4-26-2018
Keywords
patient-physician relationship, Hippocrates, Darwin, Osler, public health
Abstract
In the patient-physician encounter, physicians hone their skills while alleviating the patient’s suffering. Both benefit. Leaning on the work of Hippocrates, Darwin, and William Osler, the authors sketch out the case for honoring patients as indispensable teachers of the art and science of medicine. They argue that this tradition of Hippocratic medicine both anticipates modern precision medicine and reawakens a focus on public health medicine, each a benefit to the patients and communities served by physicians. A community that compromises the learning relationship of physician to patient and population undermines quality of care.
Recommended Citation
Becker RE, Seeman MV. Patients are our teachers. J Patient Cent Res Rev. 2018;5:183-6. doi: 10.17294/2330-0698.1589
Included in
Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Medical Education Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Public Health Commons
Submitted
August 23rd, 2017
Accepted
October 13th, 2017
