Medical Professionalism from the Patient's Perspective: Is There an Advocate in the House?

Abstract

The medical profession, like other guilds, was left to define it's own notions of professionalism relatively unfettered, from the earliest days until the modern era. But from the time when "patients" were patient, until now, much has changed for physicians and the patients they see. Professionalism in medicine, once delineated by twin notions of "autonomy" and "altruism," is now being reexamined to see if more collaborative values such as "interdependence," "team-based care" and "advocacy" might find a home there.