Promisekeeping: an institutional ethos for healthcare today

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The traditional physician-patient relationship has been significantly impacted by the introduction of managed care systems.
• Managed care introduces financial and operational pressures that can conflict with patient well-being and physician duties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the concept of promisekeeping as a framework to navigate the complexities of the managed care environment.
• To offer a method for aligning the interests of patients and healthcare providers within managed care.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the physician-patient dynamic under managed care.
• Definition and elaboration of the components of promisekeeping: honesty, explicit disclosure, flexible decision-making, and beneficence.

Main Results:

• Promisekeeping provides a structured approach to ethical practice within managed care.
• This framework can help reconcile the often-competing demands of cost control and quality patient care.

Conclusions:

• Implementing promisekeeping principles can lead to more successful outcomes for all stakeholders in managed care.
• Promisekeeping offers a viable ethical strategy to maintain patient trust and provider integrity amidst healthcare system changes.