Top

Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie

Published in:

01-02-2017 | Editorials

Are we at risk of losing the soul of medicine?

Author: Danie Botha, MBChB, DA (SA), MMed(Anesth), MD

Published in: Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie | Issue 2/2017

Excerpt

Primum non nocere. These three Latin words learned in medical school, “first, do no harm”, highlights the physician’s primary consideration for the patient’s wellbeing. While its author— Hippocrates, Galen, or Thomas Sydenham—may be in dispute, it is undeniable that every medical intervention carries the potential for harm.1 This dictum is the cornerstone of the physician’s approach to patient care and remains a pillar of modern healthcare. …

Smith CM. Origin and uses of primum non nocere – above all, do no harm! J Clin Pharmacol 2005; 45: 371-7.CrossRefPubMed

Bodenheimer T, Sinsky C. From triple to quadruple aim: care of the patient requires care of the provider. Ann Fam Med 2014; 12: 573-6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Legha RK. A History of physician suicide in America. J Med Humanit 2012; 33: 219-44.CrossRefPubMed

Shanafelt TD, Hasan O, Dyrbye LN, et al. Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clin Proc 2015; 90: 1600-13.CrossRefPubMed

Aasland OG. Physician suicide—why? Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2013; 35: 1-2.CrossRefPubMed

Balch CM, Shanafelt T. Combating stress and burnout in surgical practice: a review. Adv Surg 2010; 44: 29-47.CrossRefPubMed

Torre DM, Wang NY, Meoni LA, Young JH, Klag MJ, Ford DE. Suicide compared to other causes of mortality in physicians. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2005; 35: 146-53.CrossRefPubMed

National Mental Health Survey of Doctors and Medical Students – October 2013. Available from URL: http://www.beyondblue.org.au. Available at: www.beyondblue.org.au: http://bit.ly/1VorkGl (accessed October 2016).

Andrew LB, Brenner BE. Physician suicide. Medscape Drugs & Diseases 2015. Available from URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/806779-overview#showall (accessed October 2016).

10.

Gold K, Sen A, Schwenk TL. Details of suicide among US physicians: Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2013; 35: 45-9.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Hjelmeland H, Dieserud G, Dyregrov K, Dnizek BL, Leenaars AA. Psychological autopsy studies as diagnostic tools: are they methologically flawed? Death Stud 2012; 36: 605-26.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

12.

Shannon DW. Fix the root causes of physician burnout. Not just the symptoms. Available from URL: KevinMD.com; http://bit.ly/1oqr0sk (accessed October 2016).

13.

Downs N, Feng W, Kirby B, et al. Listening to depression and suicide risk in medical students: the Healer Education Assessment and Referral (HEAR) Program. Acad Psychiatry 2014; 38: 547-53.CrossRefPubMed

14.

Wible P. Physician Suicide Letters Answered - 2016. Available from URL: www.physiciansuicidelettersanswered.com (accessed October 2016).

15.

Center C, Davis M, Detre T, et al. Confronting depression and suicide in physicians – a consensus statement. JAMA 2003; 289: 3161-6.CrossRefPubMed

16.

Hojat M, Vergare M, Isenberg G, Cohen M, Spandorfer J. Underlying construct of empathy, optimism, and burnout in medical students. Int J Med Educ 2015; 6: 12-6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

17.

Thomas Jefferson University. Jefferson Scale of Empathy. Available from URL: http://bit.ly/1rpgIvb (accessed October 2016).

18.

Scheier MF, Carver CS, Bridges MW. Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): a reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. J Pers Soc Psychol 1994; 67: 1063-78.CrossRefPubMed

Title: Are we at risk of losing the soul of medicine?
Author: Danie Botha, MBChB, DA (SA), MMed(Anesth), MD
Publication date: 01-02-2017
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie / Issue 2/2017
Print ISSN: 0832-610X
Electronic ISSN: 1496-8975
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12630-016-0776-x

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Are we at risk of losing the soul of medicine?

Excerpt

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Excerpt

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 2/2017

The identification and management of substance use disorders in anesthesiologists

Anesthesiology Resident Wellness Program at the University of Saskatchewan: curriculum content and delivery

Non-opioid anesthetic drug abuse among anesthesia care providers: a narrative review

Self-care as a professional imperative: physician burnout, depression, and suicide

Disruptive behaviour in the perioperative setting: a contemporary review

Anesthesiology Resident Wellness Program at the University of Saskatchewan: concept and development