Crisis of Medical Humanity: It Is the Time for a Real Consideration
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Published
Apr 30, 2024
Abstract
The medical humanity issue presents a significant obstacle to the healthcare profession, raising concerns about the ethical standards, compassion, and empathy that are vital aspects of patient-centered care. Amidst the prevalence of technological progress and a focus on measurable results, there is a rising apprehension that healthcare providers are becoming increasingly detached from their patients, viewing them as just medical cases rather than individuals who deserve comprehensive care. The erosion of medical humanity not only weakens the bond between patients and healthcare providers but also has consequences for patient outcomes and the overall quality of service. Healthcare organizations must prioritize activities focused on cultivating a culture of empathy, providing training in communication skills, and promoting mindfulness practices among healthcare staff. To tackle this problem and guarantee the provision of compassionate care that respects the dignity and well-being of every patient, we need to shift our attention towards humanistic ideals and recognize the significance of emotional intelligence in medical practice.
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Keywords
Medical Humanity, Healthcare System, Challenges, Technology, Practice
References
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31. Moudatsou M, Stavropoulou A, Philalithis A, Koukouli S. The role of empathy in health and social care professionals. Healthcare (Basel) 2020; 8(1):26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8010026
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36. Lajante M, Del Prete M, Sasseville B, Rouleau G, Gagnon MP, Pelletier N. Empathy training for service employees: A mixed-methods systematic review. PLoS One 2023; 18(8):e0289793. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289793
2. Aguirre RR, Suarez O, Fuentes M, Sanchez-Gonzalez MA. Electronic health record implementation: A review of resources and tools. Cureus 2019; 11(9):e5649. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.5649
3. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Employment-Based Health Benefits; Field MJ, Shapiro HT, editors. Employment and Health Benefits: A Connection at Risk. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1993. 6, Health Care Costs: More Questions than Answers. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235994/
4. Elrod JK, Fortenberry JL Jr. Centers of excellence in healthcare institutions: What they are and how to assemble them. BMC Health Serv Res 2017; 17(Suppl 1):425. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2340-y
5. Ray A, Pathak-Ray V. Withering trust: Redefining the doctor patient relationship. Indian J Ophthalmol 2018; 66(11):1529-1530. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/ijo.IJO_821_18
6. Kels CG. Censorship of the patient-physician relationship. JAMA 2023; 330(11):1100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.13168
7. Sawicki NN. Censorship of the Patient-Physician Relationship-Reply. JAMA 2023; 330(11):1100-1101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.13171
8. Melhado EM. Health planning in the United States and the decline of public-interest policymaking. Milbank Q 2006; 84(2):359-440. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2006.00451.x
9. Rodziewicz TL, Houseman B, Hipskind JE. Medical error reduction and prevention. [Updated 2023 May 2]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/
10. Aïmeur E, Amri S, Brassard G. Fake news, disinformation and misinformation in social media: A review. Soc Netw Anal Min 2023; 13(1):30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13278-023-01028-5
11. Handtke O, Schilgen B, Mösko M. Culturally competent healthcare - A scoping review of strategies implemented in healthcare organizations and a model of culturally competent healthcare provision. PLoS One 2019; 14(7):e0219971. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219971
12. Brach C, Fraser I. Reducing disparities through culturally competent health care: An analysis of the business case. Qual Manag Health Care 2002; 10(4):15-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00019514-200210040-00005
13. De Hert S. Burnout in healthcare workers: Prevalence, impact and preventative strategies. Local Reg Anesth 2020; 13:171-183. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S240564
14. Čartolovni A, Stolt M, Scott PA, Suhonen R. Moral injury in healthcare professionals: A scoping review and discussion. Nurs Ethics 2021; 28(5):590-602. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733020966776
15. Maunder RG, Heeney ND, Greenberg RA, Jeffs LP, Wiesenfeld LA, Johnstone J, Hunter JJ. The relationship between moral distress, burnout, and considering leaving a hospital job during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal survey. BMC Nurs 2023; 22(1):243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01407-5
16. Basu K, Sinha R, Ong A, Basu T. Artificial intelligence: How is it changing medical sciences and its future? Indian J Dermatol 2020; 65(5):365-370. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/ijd.IJD_421_20
17. Bohr A, Memarzadeh K. The rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare applications. Art Intell Healthc 2020; 2020:25-60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818438-7.00002-2
18. Pinto-Coelho L. How artificial intelligence is shaping medical imaging technology: A survey of innovations and applications. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10(12):1435. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10121435
19. Yew GCK. Trust in and ethical design of Carebots: the case for ethics of care. Int J Soc Robot 2021; 13(4):629-645. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-020-00653-w
20. Mennella C, Maniscalco U, De Pietro G, Esposito M. Ethical and regulatory challenges of AI technologies in healthcare: A narrative review. Heliyon 2024; 10(4):e26297. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26297
21. Green BL, Murphy A, Robinson E. Accelerating health disparities research with artificial intelligence. Front Digit Health 2024; 6:1330160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2024.1330160
22. Kwame A, Petrucka PM. A literature-based study of patient-centered care and communication in nurse-patient interactions: Barriers, facilitators, and the way forward. BMC Nurs 2021; 20(1):158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00684-2
23. Grassini S. Shaping the future of education: Exploring the potential and consequences of AI and ChatGPT in educational settings. Educ Sci 2023; 13(7):692. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070692
24. Grande D, Luna Marti X, Feuerstein-Simon R, Merchant RM, Asch DA, Lewson A, Cannuscio CC. Health policy and privacy challenges associated with digital technology. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3(7):e208285. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.8285
25. Peters U. Algorithmic political bias in artificial intelligence systems. Philos Technol 2022; 35(2):25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00512-8
26. Modgil S, Singh RK, Gupta S, Dennehy D. A confirmation bias view on social media induced polarisation during Covid-19. Inf Syst Front 2021; 2021:1-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10222-9
27. Edgman-Levitan S, Schoenbaum SC. Patient-centered care: Achieving higher quality by designing care through the patient’s eyes. Isr J Health Policy Res 2021; 10(1):21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-021-00459-9
28. Greene SM, Tuzzio L, Cherkin D. A framework for making patient-centered care front and center. Perm J 2012; 16(3):49-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/12-025
29. Batistatou A, Doulis EA, Tiniakos D, Anogiannaki A, Charalabopoulos K. The introduction of medical humanities in the undergraduate curriculum of Greek medical schools: Challenge and necessity. Hippokratia 2010; 14(4):241-243.
30. Mi M, Wu L, Zhang Y, Wu W. Integration of arts and humanities in medicine to develop well-rounded physicians: The roles of health sciences librarians. J Med Libr Assoc 2022; 110(2):247-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1368
31. Moudatsou M, Stavropoulou A, Philalithis A, Koukouli S. The role of empathy in health and social care professionals. Healthcare (Basel) 2020; 8(1):26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8010026
32. Jahromi VK, Tabatabaee SS, Abdar ZE, Rajabi M. Active listening: The key of successful communication in hospital managers. Electron Physician 2016; 8(3):2123-2128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19082/2123
33. Kahriman I, Nural N, Arslan U, Topbas M, Can G, Kasim S. The effect of empathy training on the empathic skills of nurses. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2016; 18(6):e24847. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5812/ircmj.24847
34. Hardee JT. An overview of empathy. Perm J 2003; 7(4):51-54.
35. Rukadikar C, Mali S, Bajpai R, Rukadikar A, Singh AK. A review on cultural competency in medical education. J Family Med Prim Care 2022; 11(8):4319-4329. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2503_21
36. Lajante M, Del Prete M, Sasseville B, Rouleau G, Gagnon MP, Pelletier N. Empathy training for service employees: A mixed-methods systematic review. PLoS One 2023; 18(8):e0289793. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289793
How to Cite
Frye, C. (2024). Crisis of Medical Humanity: It Is the Time for a Real Consideration. Science Insights, 44(4), 1319–1325. https://doi.org/10.15354/si.24.re960
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