MEDICAL PROFESSIONALISH

• Main Author: Jože Drinovec
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Medical Association 2002-12-01
• Series: Zdravniški Vestnik
• Subjects: professionalism; physician; ethical codex; medical sociology; quality of healthcare
• Online Access: http://vestnik.szd.si/index.php/ZdravVest/article/view/1659
• ISSN: 1318-0347; 1581-0224

<p>Background. Due to restrictions imposed on a clinical freedom, interest for professionalism in healthcare has been getting bigger not only in medicine literature and various mass media but also in teaching and organisation of healthcare. Professionalism stands not only for a medicine’s contract with society, recognition of a physician status, privilege and monopoly but also for a genuine physician’s commitment to professional responsibilities.</p><p>Analysis. In 2002 European and American associations approved a document on medical professionalism in the new millenium, so-called Physician Charter. This document includes fundamental principles of professionalism such as altruism, patient autonomy and social justice. In particular, it analyses a physician’s professional competency, honesty with patients, patient confidentiality, appropriate relations with patients, improvements regarding a healthcare quality, healthcare access, just distribution of finite funds, commitment to scientific knowledge, trust maintenance by managing conflicts of interest and a professional responsibility.</p><p>Conclusions. Physician’s professionalism means philosophycal and sociological analysis of his/her profession and its position in a society. It includes a concern for improvements of his/ her own scientific knowledge, skills, a genuine ethic interest for an individual patient bearing in mind principles of equality and justice in society. Whether performing an organisational and public work or participating in professional health organizations, physician’s interest for a patient must prevail.<br /><br /></p>