Many doctors and nurses who see a child they suspect has been physically abused do not report it to the appropriate authorities, a survey has indicated. more

Incompetent and underperforming doctors could face a new disciplinary system under proposals to be considered by the General Medical Council. more

Many practising doctors have never received any training in resolving ethical dilemmas. more

Groopman powerfully conveys the complexity of the physician`s role, the anxiety and uncertainty that dog his every step, the difficulties that arise in understanding patients, eliciting their stories, making a diagnosis. One of the messages of “How Doctors Think” is … Continue reading →

Most physicians in the United States believe that religion and spirituality have a positive effect on patients` health, according to a survey published last week, and that God at least occasionally intervenes on their behalf. “The most telling part of … Continue reading →

Doctors in training sometimes confront situations in which they worry that their supervising physicians are making mistakes or bending the truth. Yet even though such acts can jeopardize patients, the inclination and ability of young doctors to speak up is … Continue reading →

The doctor wants to know who determines if the patient is ‘terminal’, and what he should say to the “hostile and angry” family. The ethicist tells him that deciding if a cancer is in its terminal phase is a clinical … Continue reading →

Yet some medical ethicists warn against practicing medicine too empathetically or becoming too involved in patients’ lives, saying it compromises treatment and the profession as a whole. Others argue personalized care will become extinct if physicians are not able to … Continue reading →

I have learned since then that the best way to inform a patient of test results, especially results that indicate bad news, is a subject of debate among doctors. This is especially true outside the hospital setting. Many doctors have … Continue reading →