[The role of medical psychology in modern medicine]

Medical psychology is concerned in the first place with the psychological aspect of the mutual relationship and interaction of doctor and patient and relevant people from the patient's closest environment. The main task of medical psychology is to protect the patient and doctor from undesirable consequences of technization of medicine, narrow specialization and bureaucratization of the operation of the health services and to use psychological findings and procedures in the prevention of disorders and diseases and in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients. A prerequisite and part of these activities is the psychological approach and attitude of the doctor to his patient. The main features are authority and truthfulness--esteem and respect--understanding of the patient and his position. Medical psychology gives patient care a human dimension, i.e. above all subjectivity of the patient, doctor and their mutual relationship. With regard to the proved importance of personality and relations for human health and disease medicine supported by psychology becomes true contemporary medicine and the doctors activities are lege artis.