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Courage and Compassion: Virtues in Caring for So-Called "Difficult" Patients
Michael Hawking1, Farr A Curlin2, John D Yoon3
1First-year resident physician in internal medicine at the University of Chicago, and a research scholar at the Hyde Park Institute and coordinates its medical ethics programming.
AMA Journal of Ethics
|April 22, 2017
Summary
Medical ethics, particularly virtue theory, can guide physicians in caring for "difficult" patients. Cultivating virtues like courage and compassion is essential for physicians facing moral stress.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Virtue Theory
- Physician Character
Background:
- The concept of the "difficult" patient presents unique challenges in medical practice.
- These challenges often create significant moral stress for healthcare providers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of medical ethics, specifically virtue theory, in managing care for "difficult" patients.
- To examine how physician virtues like courage and compassion are tested and can be applied in these situations.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of virtue theory and its ethical implications in medicine.
- Analysis of clinical vignettes illustrating the application of virtues in challenging patient care scenarios.
Main Results:
- "Difficult" patients act as "moral stress tests," highlighting the importance of physician character.
- Virtues such as courage and compassion are crucial for effectively caring for these patients.
Conclusions:
- Medical ethics provides a framework for understanding and addressing the challenges posed by "difficult" patients.
- Medical educators should focus on cultivating essential virtues in physicians-in-training to improve patient care.