Clinical Ethics and Patient Satisfaction: The Practical Significance of Distinguishing Ethics and Morals

摘要

For medicine to improve health, it is not sufficient to simply uncover pathophysiologic processes and develop novel treatments. We must also learn to effectively incorporate these advances into medical care. In this spirit, Autumn Fi-ester (2012) has made a potentially valuable contribution by proposing a novel strategy to improve the care of difficult patients. Briefly, Fiester suggests that patients are labeled as difficult based on their reactions to the perception of ill treatment. These reactions can lead to the deterioration of patient-provider relationships and ultimately interfere with care. While this conceptualization may not describe every patient labeled as difficult, such as those with underlying psychiatric issues, it certainly describes many and is worthy of serious consideration.