FEATURE
Healing Mind , Body , and Soul
Given the nature of medicine , it is natural to assume that humanism would be a central , highly regarded component . Many people in health care , however , feel that humanism is being driven out . At best , they contend , the degree to which humanistic principles are integrated into health care leaves something to be desired , and , at worst , these principles are under assault .
“ Humanism can be defined in many ways , but at its core , it recognizes medicine as an interaction between two human beings – not just an interaction between someone with a disease and a person who is an expert in taking care of that disease ,” Jennifer C . Kesselheim , MD , MEd , MBE , assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School , told ASH Clinical News .
There is no doubt that people choosing to enter into a career in medicine are committed to the idea of not just treating , but healing humans , Dr . Kesselheim continued , but the modern day landscape of medicine and health care can make the practical application of these tenets difficult .
“ Specifically , there is a lot of concern about technology and medicine , with many people feeling that the time spent at the bedside is shrinking as we rely more on technology ,” she said . “ There are computers in every patient room , and we all have handheld computers in our pockets . This affects our ability to see through the technology and remember the human on the other side of that interaction .”
What is Humanism ?
The definitions of medical humanism can be as varied as the patients whom physicians treat day-to-day . For Dr . Kesselheim , her preferred definition of humanism comes from The Arnold P . Gold Foundation , a foundation built in support of incorporating humanism into medicine . The Foundation uses the pneumonic “ IE CARES ” to define the attributes of humanistic health care : Integrity , Excellence , Compassion , Altruism , Respect , Empathy , and Service ( see SIDEBAR on page 77 for a breakdown of these qualities ). 1
According to the Foundation , multiple studies have shown that a physician ’ s ability to apply these attributes improves his or her interactions with patients and may affect patient outcomes . For example , in a 2007 German study of 710 patients with cancer , physician empathy was positively associated with improvements in patient-reported depression and quality of life . 2
Linda L . Emanuel , MD , PhD , director of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine , Buehler
Center on Aging , Health & Society at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago , sees the idea of medical humanism a little differently . In her view , the purpose of medicine is to allow people to be “ full human beings – mind , body , and soul .”
” There is no question about the importance of physician presence , but we are being pulled in 12 different directions . We are victims of over-reaching and over-scheduling .”
— FRED J . SCHIFFMAN , MD
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